Tucson among first cities to get Nissan electric car

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Tucson will be among the first markets to get Nissan's new electric vehicle and charging stations under a nearly $100 million federal grant awarded to a Scottsdale company.
ETec, which stands for Electric Transportation Engineering Corp. and is a subsidiary of Ecotality Inc., was selected by the U.S. Department of Energy for a grant of up to $99.8 million to help roll out electric cars, and the charging equipment and stations to make them run.
The grant is part of a larger, $2.4 billion program to build up the nation's electric-car industry, announced by President Obama on Wednesday.
The project eTec is undertaking is expected to cost a total of $199.6 million; program participants are expected to match the federal grant money for a 50-50 public-private investment, Ecotality said.
ETec has teamed up with Nissan North America to roll out its Leaf electric vehicle and the charging stations to support the car.
The project will install electric-vehicle charging equipment and introduce up to 1,000 Nissan Leafs in strategic markets in five states, including Tucson and Phoenix in Arizona.
After a planning phase, eTec plans to start rolling out charging equipment in Leaf owners' garages and in public places in Tucson and other markets next summer, ahead of the Leaf's market debut in the fall, said Colin Read, vice president of market development for Ecotality.
"We're looking to put 1,000 electric vehicles in Phoenix and Tucson as part of the largest rollout of electric vehicles and infrastructure in U.S. history," Read said. read more