The Electric Transportation Engineering Corporation and the Energy Department finally sealed a $99.8 million deal on Thursday that would herald the largest deployment of electric vehicles and charging infrastructure networks in the United States.

Collaboration between Nissan Motors and smart grid software company GridPoint Inc. was announced as early as April and August.

Nissan is set to release 4,700 of its Leaf electric vehicle, as well as install over 10,000 220-volt chargers and 260 fast-chargers.

Nissan’s lithium-ion battery powered Leaf is said to be the world’s first affordable and zero-emission car. Lithium-ion battery powered cars are noted for their higher power and greater possible acceleration.

The vehicles and infrastructure will be deployed in Arizona, California, Oregon, Tennessee and Washington.

Don Karner, president of the transportation developer, said this marks the “largest transportation electrification project in [United States] history.”

The web site, www.theEVproject.com, has been opened to provide information on how to purchase the cars and avail of free charge infrastructure at homes or businesses.

Electric Transportation Engineering Corporation is a research and testing company which has been involved with green transportation initiatives in North America since the 1990s. It is a subsidiary of ECOtality Inc., an Arizona-based company specializing in green transportation and storage technologies which is traded on the Over-the-counter Bulletin Board.




-   Jen Balboa