Nissan Leaf Showcased in Bellevue

The Nissan Leaf tour continues in the US, with the latest stop of the electric vehicle being made yesterday in the city of Bellevue. Preparing its market entrance in the US in 2010, the Leaf has been brought to Bellevue by Puget Sound Energy (PSE), the city and Nissan, who are part of the so called C-7 New Energy Partnership, a partnership which also comprises Kirkland, Issaquah, Mercer Island, Redmond, Renton and Sammamish.

“Electric vehicles offer the chance to benefit the environment and the consumer by allowing transportation to be cleaner and less dependent on foreign oil,” Steve Reynolds, PSE CEO said.

“As a utility, we are committed to ensuring that our energy resources and infrastructure will be ready as this next generation of cars and trucks hit the road.”

The Leaf is powered by laminated compact lithium-ion batteries that manage to develop 90 kW, with the electric motors producing 80 kW/280 Nm of torque. The range of the EV is estimated at about 100 miles (160 km) on a full charge.

“Electric transportation will be a vital part of meeting our region’s mobility needs while moving towards our greenhouse gas reduction targets,” Bellevue Mayor Grant Degginger added.

“Bellevue will be working with our C-7 partners, other government agencies, utilities and various manufacturers in making innovative and cleaner choices available to our communities.”

The Nissan Leaf tour is scheduled to reach 22 cities from 11 states, with the next stops to be made in Vancouver (Dec. 14-15) and Portland (Dec. 17-23).