SunPower Corp. USA has announced it will partner with Nissan North America (NNA) to supply household solar power systems to charge Nissan’s new 2011 model LEAF Electric Vehicle (EV).
The two companies have added content to the U.S Nissan LEAF website that educates customers about the benefits of installing solar power as a means of charging the vehicle instead of mains grid electricity, which is often generated by the burning of fossil fuels.
Nissan claims owners choosing to install a standard 2.5 kilowatt SunPower solar panel system could offset the power required to drive a LEAF around 16,000 kilometres each year, eliminating a significant portion of their carbon footprint while saving money.
Earlier this year, Nissan also pointed out the LEAF’s battery could act as a home battery backup system with enough storage to run the average Australian household for over a day.
“Nissan LEAF owners are conscientious about their energy use, and it makes sense for them to understand how they can offset the power that their all-electric LEAF requires with clean, renewable solar power generated from their own rooftop,” says Brendan Jones, director of Nissan LEAF marketing and sales, NNA.
Produced as part of the Nissan Green Program and powered by a lightweight 48-stack lithium-ion battery pack capable of reaching 80 percent charge in 30 minutes, the American Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded the LEAF a “best” rating in both efficiency and environmental categories.
Even SunPower President and CEO Tom Werner has made the switch to EV motoring, spruiking, “I power my own 100 percent electric Nissan LEAF with a SunPower system, eliminating trips to the gas station while significantly reducing my electricity bill!”
The Nissan partnership isn’t SunPower’s first foray into the rapidly expanding American EV market. Earlier this year the company teamed up with Ford Motor Co. to design home solar charging stations specifically tailored for the Focus EV.
