Nissan North America and Hawaii have announced a partnership to promote electric vehicle (EV) development and a charging network throughout the state. It marks Nissan’s first definitive agreement in the United States for such a partnership.
The all-electric Leaf will be available in Hawaii beginning in January 2011. The state has created a US$4,500 tax credit toward the purchase of an EV, and a $500 state tax credit towards the purchase and installation of a home charging station. Combined with an available $7,500 federal tax credit, this could bring the price of a Leaf to as low as $20,780 for Hawaiian customers, based on its MSRP of $32,780.
As part of the agreement, Nissan and Hawaii will develop plans to promote a charging infrastructure for EVs, as well as the deployment, operation and maintenance of a charging network. The partners will also work to coordinate the establishment of policies and help streamline the deployment of an EV infrastructure. Nissan said it is committed to bringing a supply of Leaf vehicles to Hawaii and preparing the dealer body to sell or lease them to customers.
