Nissan Joins Phoenix-Tucson EV Charging Corridor Plan

The idea of a car company teaming up with a city and an EV infrastructure company is to cover all the angles when facing the challenge of introducing electric cars quickly. The partnership wants to build an EV charging corridor between Phoenix and Tucson — a 116-mile stretch of highway along Interstate 10 — that will link the two cities and make them compatible with vehicles that need a plug. Of course, most EVs we’ve covered require a lot more time to charge than you’d spend simply filling up your gas tank. Let’s hope the stations will be near restaurants or other areas where people can spend some time while waiting for a recharge.

Nissan, which plans to introduce plug-in vehicles in 2010, will make available a supply of electric vehicles for the Phoenix metro area’s public and private fleets. The three entities will coordinate their efforts to raise public awareness about the benefits of the new technology, while also cooperating on the deployment, operation and maintenance of the charging stations.

This adds the Arizona cities to the list of other Nissan partnerships with local governments in the U.S., including ones in Tennessee, Oregon, Sonoma County, Calif., and San Diego. Not necessarily known for its green credentials, Phoenix makes for an interesting place for this experiment.

Renault-Nissan Alliances Forms EV Partnership in Phoenix Metro Area: Beginning of a Phoenix-Tucson EV Charging Corridor (GreenCarCongress)