Plug In America Commends Nissan For Plans to Sell Affordable All-Electric Car

It's a breath of fresh - and cleaner - air.

Nissan Motor Company's plans to sell an affordable all-electric sedan in the U.S. and Japan in just two years is likewise a demonstration of leadership. Nissan also expects to sell a lineup of electric vehicles worldwide by 2012.

"We commend Nissan for surging ahead in the race to produce and market plug-in cars on a global scale," said Linda Nicholes, President of Plug In America (PIA). "It's past time that people had the chance and the choice to get behind the wheel of an electric car. Nissan, through innovative leadership, will make that choice possible to people all over the world."

An electric car prototype manufactured by Renault, Nissan"s partner, was displayed in Tel Aviv earlier this month. Company president Carlos Ghosn said the automaker decided to accelerate development of battery-powered vehicles due to high gasoline prices and environmental concerns. As oil prices soared past $130 per barrel today (May 21), gas averaging more than $4 per gallon at the pump hit 15 metropolitan areas across the country, AAA reported on Tuesday (May 20). But, in more good news from Nissan, the company already looks toward rolling out a broad range of electric vehicles - from compact to minivan.

Other automakers including Mitsubishi Motors and Fuji Heavy Industries are testing versions of electric cars, and General Motors and Toyota are working on battery-powered vehicles that have small gasoline engines for recharging.

But Nissan is the first manufacturer to say it will market all-electric vehicles worldwide. Its commitment to plug-in vehicles is sure to fan competition among rivals, ultimately reducing both greenhouse gas emissions and U.S. dependence on foreign oil.

Plug In America, a national non-profit organization, advocates the use of plug-in vehicles powered by cleaner, cheaper, domestic electricity. Even using electricity from the national grid, which derives more than half of its power from coal, driving an electric car is far cleaner than driving a gasoline car, according to a study published last year by the Natural Resource Defense Council and the Electric Power Research Institute. For more information: www.pluginamerica.org.

Recent rallies and other activities organized by PIA board members, most of whom appear in the documentary, "Who Killed the Electric Car?" have been filmed for the movie's sequel, "Who Saved the Electric Car?" For information: http://www.whokilledtheelectriccar.com.

Plug In America
P.O. Box 1174
El Segundo, CA 90245