"This is an exciting day for Oregon," said Gov. Ted Kulongoski. "The first electric vehicles are quietly rolling off the lots and onto our roads – showing the rest of the nation that we can make this transition to emissions-free vehicles."
"Portland's national reputation as a proving ground for progressive transportation ideas is confirmed with the arrival of our first Nissan LEAF," said Portland Mayor Sam Adams. "This public-private partnership shows again that our local governments remain supportive of innovative companies working to create new, environmentally friendly markets."
As we all know by now (mostly because Nissan has spammed us with press releases that repeatedly announced the company's plans when it comes to the Leaf), the Japanese carmaker will debut its all electric vehicle in most US states in the months to come. It expects the Leaf to be available in the whole country by 2012 but this doesn't mean that the European market will be neglected.
The Leaf is projected to reach European soil in 2011, with pricing and details already released for some markets. However, being one of the first countries to get the Leaf is a thing to be proud of and Oregon fully knows it.
"To be selected as one of the first launch markets for the Nissan LEAF speaks volumes to Oregonians' commitment to sustainability," said Jim Piro, PGE's president and CEO. "We'd like to thank Nissan, the state of Oregon, and all our partners who are collaborating to make EVs a reality for our customers like John Duncan who can now charge up his emissions-free vehicle at home for much less than he'd pay at the pump."
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