Nissan Launches LEAF Zero Emissions Student Competition

In conjunction with the Nissan LEAF Zero Emission Tour, the Japanese carmaker also launched a student competition, that challenges university and college students to express how the Nissan LEAF has inspired their outlook towards a zero-emissions future. Just as expected, the first one on the contest map is the University of Southern California campus, which is the first university stop on the aforementioned tour calendar.

"Nissan understands the important role students play in shaping a zero-emissions future," said Scott Becker, senior vice president, finance and administration, Nissan North America. "This competition is our way of recognizing student leaders and engaging them in our shared mission."

Students will enter the competition via the Green 2010 tab on Nissan's Facebook page found here. One student from each of the participating universities will be selected as a winner based on the creativity, relevance to the theme and originality of their entry response.

The winning students, to be named at the end of the Nissan LEAF Zero Emissions Tour, will receive a $500 scholarship. The tour dates can be found here.

As for the Nissan LEAF Zero Emission Tour, Nissan will be showcasing its zero-emission car in 22 cities of 11 states, the District of Columbia, and Vancouver, Canada, offering interested drivers the opportunity to learn about the LEAF and zero-emissions driving.

The LEAF can run for 100 miles without recharging and accommodate five adults. Recharging the battery to 80 percent of capacity takes just 30 minutes. The car comes with laminated compact lithium-ion batteries that manage to develop 90 kW, while its electric motors produce 80 kW/280 Nm of torque.