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The United States has an unemployment rate that is nearing 10% as well as a scarce supply of green cars that is straining to meet public demands with waiting lists for the Toyota Prius that can extend over a few months. The car maker Nissan has released plans that will help to ameliorate both of these problems.
Nissan is prepared to outsource the production of electric cars to the United States, which would be the first time the car company ever mass produced a vehicle outside of Japan. They are asking for a low-interest rate loans from the United States government, but plan to invest at least 518 million dollars in the production of a fleet of electric cars, to be produced in Smyrna, Tennessee, their North American headquarters.
The hope is that their production line will be capable of producing 50,000 to 100,000 electric cars by 2012. In accord with factories in Japan, Europe and China, Nissan plans to churn out 200,000 cars before the end of the Obama Administration’s first term. As well as the car itself, Nissan plans to hook up with computer giant NEC Corporation to concurrently produce the lithium ion battery necessary to propel the car from place to place.
As demand for the electric car expands, Nissan plans to build their operation, but it is safe to say that for the autoworkers of Tennessee, and for the eco-conscious consumer, this move is a windfall. This is certainly a step towards economic recovery, and sustainable living that the United States so desperately needs.
