Atlanta Signs Deal with Nissan to Bring 'Green' LEAF to City Roads

Nissan North America concluded a historical “green” agreement with Clean Cities-Atlanta (CC-A) amidst the celebrations of the city’s Sustainability Week. The automobile giant announced that the new agreement is aimed to promote development of electric vehicles and an electric-charging network and foster zero-emission mobility throughout the city.

As a part of Atlanta's Sustainability Week, a series of events have been organized to raise awareness throughout the city about issues such as energy and water conservation, the creation of green jobs, locally produced food and fuel efficiency. Nissan, which is going to introduce LEAF, the country's first all-electric vehicle designed for the global mass markets, in December in certain states further announced that it is going to roll out the energy-efficient vehicle throughout the United States in 2011.

Nissan, along with its alliance partner Renault, has formed partnerships with more than 80 governments, cities and other organizations to advance the deployment of electric vehicles. The recently concluded agreement with CC-A adds Atlanta to Nissan’s growing network of zero-emission vehicle initiatives across the United States and around the world. Powered by advanced lithium-ion batteries the Nissan LEAF is a five-passenger compact electric car that creates no emissions and has no tailpipe. It has a top speed of 90 mph. The battery provides the car with a range of 100 miles on a single charge as tested on the LA4 test cycle, which according to the car maker, is enough to satisfy the daily driving needs of more than 90 percent of Americans. 

 “The Renault-Nissan Alliance is committed to becoming a global leader in zero-emission vehicles, and Clean Cities-Atlanta has shown similar leadership through their progressive policies and focus on clean energy. This agreement further demonstrates the commitment by Atlanta to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. We look forward to bringing the zero-emission Nissan LEAF to the roads of metropolitan Atlanta,” Eric Noziere, vice president of the Corporate Planning and Program Management Office at Nissan, said in a statement.

CC-A is a coalition of government agencies, utilities, public interest groups, and public and private fleets that advance the use of alternatives to gasoline, and diesel fuels in cars, trucks and buses. Under the agreement, NNA and CC-A will collaborate on plans to promote a charging infrastructure for EVs, as well as the deployment, operation and maintenance of a charging network. In addition, the companies also will work to coordinate the establishment of policies and help streamline the deployment of an EV infrastructure.

The city of Atlanta, which always took lead role in promoting policies for reducing greenhouse gas emission, is eagerly waiting for the day when the zero-emission Nissan LEAF hits the roads in metropolitan Atlanta.

“Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is a critical component of making Atlanta a cleaner, greener and more sustainable city. We appreciate Nissan for choosing Atlanta to be one of the first cities in the southeast to launch the Nissan LEAF. This public endorsement affirms our commitment to alternative fuels and supports our drive to be a top-ten sustainable city,” Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed said in his statement.

The Nissan officials announced “Drive Electric Tour” for the interested consumers and other interested drivers. The tour in selected cities will provide information about the car, its technology, and its features, along with the first public test-drives.

TMC (News - Alert) recently reported a recalling of 2.14 million vehicles worldwide by the Japanese car giant. The recalled vehicles include the popular March and Mycra subcompacts for an ignition problem that may stall the engine — its third largest recall ever. No accidents have been reported that are suspected of being caused by the defect, according to Yokohama-based Nissan Motor Co. The recall affects cars in the the United States, Europe and Japan. Nissan informed that a problem was found in an ignition–system part called the relay for vehicles produced from August 2003 through July 2006, including small cars like the March, Cube and Note, and about a dozen other models, such as the Tiida sedan, Titan pickup and Infiniti QX56 luxury model.