Mayor Adrian M. Fenty Announces Partnership with Nissan North America and AeroVironment
May 07 2009Hundreds of Electric Vehicles and Charging Stations Anticipated to Come to the Region for Governmental and Public Use
Washington, D.C. – Mayor Fenty along with District Department of Transportation Director Gabe Klein, other District officials, and senior representatives from leading automotive company, Nissan North America, and AeroVironment, an industry expert in battery and charging systems, announced today a partnership that could bring hundreds of Electric Vehicles (EVs) and charging stations to the District.
"The District welcomes the partnership with Nissan and AeroVironment, said Mayor Fenty. "The Obama Administration and the District are leading the nation in progressive transportation programs and this innovative partnership servers as another example of the District's dedication to reducing C02 emissions and improving the environment."
The Electric Vehicle fleet program is another innovative solution to the District's committment to creating cost saving and energy efficient transportation solutions. This initiative is aligned with the Mayor's Green DC initiative. In addition, the new Nissan Electric Vehicles will be incorporated into the District's Fleet Share program.
DDOT is expanding on multi-modal alternatives for the government and public with various configurations of choice transportation enhancement options including: Metro, Bus, carsharing, bikesharing, bike stations and racks, and now, electric charging stations.
“Many cities are talking about electrification of garages and municipal lots for their city fleets, and this is an important part of our strategy as well,” said DDOT Director Gabe Klein. “The DC difference is that we want to make a stronger statement, for consumers and businesses to realize that this is real, they can make the change from gas to electric, and will not have to worry about where to charge their car.”
Nissan North America is committed to partnering with the District to improve the environment and reduce Co2 emissions. The Nissan Electric Vehicles (EV) will be integrated into the DC Fleet Share Program. The vehicles will be pure electric, not a single drop of gas required, no tailpipe emissions. They will be equipped with advanced lithium-ion batteries that can go 100 miles on a single charge.
"Nissan through the Renault-Nissan Alliance has committed to being a global leader in zero-emission vehicles," said Dominique Thormann, senior vice president, administration and finance, Nissan North America. "Nissan and the District of Columbia share in the belief that electric vehicles offer one of the best solutions to reducing CO2 emissions."
AeroVironment is dedicated to being a leader in efficient energy technologies and clean transportation and working with the District. "We are pleased that the leadership of the District of Columbia has selected AeroVironment as its electric vehicle charging infrastructure partner," said AV senior vice president Mike Bissonette, general manager of its Efficient Energy Systems business segment. "Our extensive experience developing and deploying electric vehicle technologies enables us to support the vision of Mayor Fenty with practical, proven EV solutions. We are eager to provide the people of Washington, D.C. with a safe, reliable and effective electric vehicle charging network that will keep them moving into a clean, energy independent future." The District is also in discussions with local businesses that can assist in expanding electrification efforts throughout the city.
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About AeroVironment, Inc. (AV)
AV is a technology company that designs, develops, produces and supports an advanced portfolio of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) and efficient electric energy systems. Agencies of the U.S. Department of Defense and allied military services use the company’s battery-powered, hand-launched UAS to provide situational awareness to tactical operating units through real-time, airborne reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition. AV’s electric transportation solutions include electric vehicle (EV) home charging, public charging and fast charging systems for consumers, automakers, utilities and government agencies, power cycling and test systems for EV developers and industrial electric vehicle charging systems for commercial fleets.
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