In its most comprehensive marketing effort to date, Nissan has entered into a partnership agreement with the state of Hawaii aimed at advancing zero-emission mobility by promoting electric vehicles and the development of a wide-ranging EV charging network. Announced at the Asia Pacific Clean Energy Summit and Expo in Honolulu, it marks Nissan‘s first definitive agreement in the United States. As part of the pact, the two principals will develop plans to promote a charging infrastructure for EVs, as well as the deployment, operation and maintenance of a charging network. They’ll also coordinate efforts to establish of policies and help streamline the overall deployment of an effective EV infrastructure.
The Nissan LEAF will go on sale in Hawaii in January, where the state has now committed to a $4,500 tax credit to help underwrite the cost of an EV and an additional $500 credit to help offset the purchase and installation of a dedicated home-charging setup. With those extra spiffs plus the existing $7,500 federal tax credit, the effective cost of a new LEAF can be trimmed to $20,780 — extremely attractive in a compact state where the issue of range anxiety is pretty much a non-starter.
