Nissan Delivers Leaf to Portugese Prime Minister
It would appear that Nissan’s Leaf is gaining quite a bit of momentum, even in its early days. But as many will tell you, it’s not the greatness of the car that controls its success, but rather the comprehensiveness of the electric vehicle infrastructure. And in that particular regard, Portugal appears to be leading the way. Developing a consortium of nine companies to develop a network of charging stations, Nissan of Portugal rewarded the country’s efforts by delivering the first European Leafs to the CEOs of the nine companies in the consortium.
"Companies such as EDP, Efacec, Critical Software, Martifer and Siemens, which, together, have developed MOBI.E's charging solution, want to set an example by being the first entities to acquire electric vehicles for their fleets. The existence of a charging network constitutes the most crucial element in the affirmation of the electric vehicle. With MOBI.E - the most advanced and intelligent solution for charging worldwide - the incentives and legal frame as defined by the Government, Portugal brings together all the essential conditions to become the first Living Lab for electric vehicles," said João Dias, on behalf of MOBI.E.
At the ceremony, Nissan also handed over a set of keys to the Portuguese government who receives one Nissan LEAF on loan for test-drive purposes.
Prime Minister José Sócrates, who accepted the keys on behalf of the government, "We are extremely pleased to be introducing the electric vehicle in Portugal. After 3 years of collaborative work between the Government, public entities, the corporate consortium which developed the MOBI.E solution and Nissan, we have achieved the first smart, built-in charging network on a national scope, therefore we are the first country to welcome electric vehicles. By combining in a pioneer manner our commitment to renewable energies, the implementation of the smart charging network and the introduction of electric vehicles, Portugal will be in the lead of the transition to a more sustainable future."
