NLE to Buy 1,000 Electric Equinox SUVs

Perhaps the most excited groups when it comes to the rise of the electric vehicles are companies, whose fleets, if converted to run exclusively on electricity, will transform from the money pit they are today to a small pile of expenses.

Knowing that, Northern Lights Energy (NLE), an energy and transportation, decided to purchase 1,000 electric SUVs manufactured by AMP Holding. The SUVs, which are in fact converted Chevrolet Equinox, will be delivered to NLE in 2011.

The vehicles will provide the owner with a range of up to 150 miles per charge and a naught to sixty acceleration time of around 8 seconds. The SUVs can be recharged from 220V outlets in four hours and from 110V plugs in eight.

“The combination of EVs and Iceland make for a perfect storm," Steve Burns, AMP CEO describes why the EVs are perfect for NLE. "Everything is present - a low cost of electricity coupled with the high cost of gasoline, the inherent short commutes of an island community and the desire to reduce dependence on foreign oil. We are delighted to be doing business together."

NLE will not limit its eco-efforts to buying electric SUVs. The company already kicked off the Icelandic National EV Project, an effort which will see municipalities and large companies coming together to build a nationwide charging infrastructure in Iceland.

"AMP's 100 percent electric vehicle technology makes it an ideal partner to work towards our underlying goal of radically improving the transportation industry in Iceland. The SUV segment now captures approximately 35 percent of the Icelandic car market, and while most industry players are focused on other market segments, we have high hopes for this segment and in AMP's market-ready technology," added Gisli Gislason, NLE's CEO.