516-837-3459At the Geneva Auto Show, the CEO and President of Renault-Nissan Carlos Ghosn said that there have already been 56,000 orders for the Leaf in the United States, according to Business Week. Ghosn went on to claim that the Leaf will be the only market-ready vehicle in 2011 and would have very little competition. The people working on the Volt may disagree, but it is true that Nissan is making aggressive moves including being part of the largest EV infrastructure project in the U.S.
Ghosn’s statement is most important because it demonstrates the level of interest in the U.S. in moving away from the use of petroleum. If 56,000 people have already pre-ordered a Leaf, many more are interested and many, many more may consider purchasing an EV in a few years. This represents a paradigm shift which will be beneficial for the economy, security, and public health of our country.
EVs present an opportunity for more of our transportation energy to be produced domestically. This means more secure lines of energy since we won’t be as reliant on oil imports. (For a great visual, check out the Rocky Mountain Institute’s oil imports map tool.) Bringing renewables like solar and wind into this equation means more jobs as thousands of new systems are installed. Renewables will also help to stabilize energy prices ” since they provide predictable flows of energy, they will counteract the volatility of energy prices like that of oil.
Pairing EVs with renewable energy is a win-win for everyone. Hopefully, in the future more of us will be driving vehicles run off the sun.
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EmPower Solar develops, engineers, installs, and services solar and battery systems for residential and commercial clients. Since 2003, EmPower Solar has empowered thousands of New York homeowners and businesses with 47 megawatts of distributed solar. Its vision is to create a new energy paradigm powered by clean, renewable energy for a more prosperous, healthy, and civil world. The company culture is defined by the EmPowering Way, which results in consistent 5-star customer service reviews. For more information visit empower-solar.com.