Nissan North America has formed an electric vehicle partnership with the state of Hawaii as it bids to introduce an electric vehicle charging network in the area.
The partnership was confirmed at the Asia Pacific Clean Energy Summit and Expo in Honolulu and is the first definitive agreement reached by the company in the United States.
As part of the agreement, the Nissan LEAF will be made available in the state in January 2011. Hawaii will provide a $4,500 state tax credit towards the purchase of an electric vehicle and a $500 state tax credit for the purchase and installation of a home charging system. When this is added to a $7,500 Federal tax credit, the price of the Nissan LEAF could be slashed from $32,780 to as little as $20,780 for customers in the state.
In addition, Nissan and Hawaii will develop plans to promote charging infrastructure for electric vehicles. They will co-ordinate the establishment of policies and help streamline the deployment of an electric vehicle infrastructure.
According to US Senator Daniel K Inouye the partnership personifies the state’s commitment to a future powered by clean and sustainable sources of energy.
