Nissan Pays For Chargers Where Leaf Is Popular

A technician ratchets down covers on a battery pack for the Leaf, at Nissan’s Smyrna assembly plant. Image: Nissan North America

Nissan is paying to install 500 more electric charging stations nationwide. The company says its targeting places where its Smyrna built all-electric Leaf is popular. Those places include Washington DC, Dallas, and San Francisco, where Nissan says the Leaf is its second highest selling car.

Nissan’s Brenden Jones says they are also markets where electric vehicles outnumber public chargers. “I think we’re going to be in charger business as long as we need to be,” Jones said. “So, if we keep going in the infrastructure business that’s because more infrastructure is needed.” Jones declined to say how much Nissan is spending on the project.

The stations can recharge the Leaf’s batteries up to 80 percent in 30 minutes. But since they’re public chargers, they’ll be available to owners of other electric vehicles, like the Chevrolet Volt.