Nissan of Visalia installs four charging stations; two offer free fill ups

In late December, Mark Perry, Nissan's director of product planning and strategy, outlined a three-step process that each dealership intent on selling the automaker's battery-powered Leaf must commit to. The preparatory steps, previously outlined by Green Car Reports, are as follows:

• Publicly available charging stations: Stores have to commit two of them to be available to the public and out in the parking area; two more are required for back-of-shop.
• Training: They had to have two of their technicians trained to deal with the battery packs, high voltage, and electric vehicle repair issues.
• Equipment: The Leaf's battery packs weigh 600 pounds, so special lifts are required to take the battery down and roll it around. Special high-voltage gloves and flash suits are required for some tasks.

Nissan of Visalia, CA, located on Ben Maddox Way in the city's eastern section, claims that it's one of the first dealerships in California's Central Valley to install the required four charging stations. Two of the charging units will be utilized by repair technicians, who service Nissan's electric hatch, but the remaining pair of chargers – reportedly located outside of the facility – will provide plug-in vehicle owners with free fill ups.


Live photo by Sebastian Blanco / Copyright ©2010 AOL
[Source: Visalia Times Delta]