NEW YORK, April 22, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- To celebrate
Earth Day, Nissan and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg today launched a new electric
vehicle taxi pilot with the world's best-selling electric car,
Nissan LEAF. This pilot program, which puts six LEAF taxis into
service beginning this spring, will help Nissan, the city, the taxi
industry and the public understand how zero emission vehicles can
be integrated into future taxi fleets.
(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130422/CL98564)
(Logo:
http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20080506/NISSANWORDMARKLOGO)
Joe Castelli, vice president,
Nissan Commercial Vehicles said: "As part of our commitment to zero
emission vehicles for the mass-market, Nissan is looking for ways
to broaden the use of electric cars, including commercial
applications like taxis. Following the selection of Nissan NV200 as
New York City's Taxi of Tomorrow,
our relationship with the city provides us the ultimate proving
ground to conduct this LEAF taxi pilot to help optimize the use of
electric vehicle technology for future applications."
Mayor Michael Bloomberg said:
"Even though the Taxi of Tomorrow won't be on the road for another
six months, we're already looking ahead to the taxi of the day
after tomorrow. Nissan's proven track record with electric vehicles
will put us ahead of the curve in helping us answer important
questions about incorporating electric taxis into the fleet so that
we can achieve the goal of a one-third electric taxi fleet by
2020."
As part of the pilot, Nissan and partners in New York City will also install several
CHAdeMO-based DC quick chargers, which will enable drivers to
re-charge their electric taxis quickly during their shift. With
quick charging, Nissan LEAF can be recharged to about 80 percent in
under 30 minutes.
Video of the Nissan LEAF Taxi can be found at:
http://nissannews.com/en-US/nissan/usa/releases/nissan-leaf-taxi
About the 2013 Nissan LEAF
Now in its third model
year, Nissan LEAF is the world's best-selling pure electric vehicle
with nearly 60,000 cumulative sales worldwide. For 2013, LEAF
features numerous customer-focused upgrades and is now being
assembled at Nissan's plant in Smryna, Tenn. LEAF is powered by a
responsive 80kW AC synchronous motor produced at Nissan's
Powertrain Assembly plant in Decherd,
Tenn., with energy supplied by an advanced 48-module
lithium-ion battery assembled at Nissan's new battery plant in
Smyrna.
About Nissan North America
In North America, Nissan's operations include
automotive styling, engineering, consumer and corporate financing,
sales and marketing, distribution and manufacturing. Nissan is
dedicated to improving the environment under the Nissan Green
Program and has been recognized as an ENERGY STAR® Partner of the
Year in 2010, 2011 and 2012 by the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency. More information on Nissan in North America and the complete line of Nissan
and Infiniti vehicles can be found online at www.NissanUSA.com and
www.InfinitiUSA.com or visit the Americas media sites
NissanNews.com and InfinitiNews.com.
About Nissan
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Japan's second-largest automotive company, is
headquartered in Yokohama, Japan,
and is part of the Renault-Nissan Alliance. Operating with more
than 248,000 employees globally, Nissan provided customers with
more than 4.9 million vehicles in 2012, generating revenue of
9.4 trillion yen ($US 118.95 billion) in fiscal 2011. With a strong
commitment to developing exciting and innovative products for all,
Nissan delivers a comprehensive range of 64 models under the Nissan
and Infiniti brands. A pioneer in zero-emission mobility, Nissan
made history with the introduction of the Nissan LEAF, the first
affordable, mass-market, pure-electric vehicle and winner of
numerous international accolades, including the prestigious
2011-2012 Car of the Year Japan and 2011 World Car of the Year
awards. For more information on our products, services and
commitment to sustainable mobility, visit our website at
http://www.nissan-global.com/EN/.
SOURCE Nissan North America
