Nissan says it is working with AeroVironment to install more than 100 electric vehicle (EV) charging stations in several key markets in the U.S. These DC fast chargers, which can recharge an EV in less than an hour, will support owners and dealers of the all-electric Nissan LEAF.
The installations will begin in East Coast markets this summer, and the full complement of chargers will be online at 100 dealerships in 21 markets by April 1, 2014. Nissan recently completed a 24-dealer pilot program, whereby the company installed EV charging stations at dealerships in San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Sacramento and Seattle.
‘Nissan is undertaking a proactive, multi-pronged approach to expand charging infrastructure to enhance awareness of electric cars like the LEAF and instill range confidence in potential customers,’ says Brendan Jones, Nissan's director of electric vehicle infrastructure strategy. ‘We know that available charging infrastructure opens the doors for more Nissan LEAF sales.’
The charging stations in the pilot program have averaged about 4.5 charging sessions per day, Nissan notes. And as word of the chargers' availability has spread, so has their use. Between June 21 and July 1, the number of charging sessions increased about 12.5% compared to the previous two-week period, the company notes.
