The fully electric, zero emissions Nissan LEAF is getting closer to being available to the full mass market. Nissan Americas announced that very soon this fall, the LEAF will find homes in Chicago, Illinois. The windy city will join the other LEAF battle grounds already that include Arizona, California, Hawaii, Tennessee, Texas, Oregon and Washington. So far, nearly 5,000 LEAFs are rolling around the U.S. while more than 10,000 have reached global status. Because of the massive popularity, the Chicago reveal is taken place ahead of schedule.
“Chicagoland consumers want a transportation solution that uses no gas and produces no emissions, and the introduction of the Nissan LEAF to Illinois makes that a reality,” said Scott Becker, senior vice president of Administration and Finance for Nissan Americas. Chicago Governor Pat Quinn said, “By investing in electric vehicle technology, both the State of Illinois and Nissan are making transportation in our state more efficient, sustainable and affordable.”
To prepare for the LEAF’s arrival, the City of Chicago made a $1 million investment in capital funding to install charging stations and systems. This was on top of an additional $1 million investment in Clean Cities Grant and will result in 280 electric vehicle charging stations. So far, 40 stations have been installed with hopes of completing the project by the end of the year. To make the LEAF more affordable, the state of Illinois will add-on an additional $4,000 in rebates to go along with the $7,500 federal tax credit.
Source: Nissan
