Nissan to Build EV Motors in Tennessee
"Nissan's Tennessee operations are paving the way to a zero-emission future for everyone," stated Bill Krueger, vice chairman of Nissan Americas. "By delivering motors for the first mass-produced electric vehicles manufactured in the United States, our Decherd plant will play a vital role in making zero-emission mobility a reality for American consumers."The Nissan LEAF is a five-door midsized electric hatchback that is advertised as a “zero emission” vehicle: the name is an acronym for “Leading, Environmentally friendly, Affordable Family car.” U.S. EPA states the car (which has been available in the U.S. since late last year) has a fuel economy equivalent to 99 miles per gallon. The automaker plans to begin assembling the vehicles at its plant in Smyrna, Tenn., late in 2012.
The DOE’s Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Incentive Program (ATVM) lends to automakers and automotive parts manufacturers to cover the cost of “reequipping, expanding, or establishing manufacturing facilities … to produce advanced technology vehicles or qualified components, and for associated engineering integration costs.”