Tennessee to offer $2,500 rebate on first 1,000 Nissan Leafs bought in state

Gov. Phil Bredesen today announced that the state will offer a $2,500 rebate for the first 1,000 electric Nissan Leafs purchased in Tennessee.

Bredesen said the program, which is tied to the state’s participation in the national Electric Vehicle Project, will accompany a federal tax credit of up to $7,500 on the purchase of electric vehicles.

The $2,500 rebate will be administered through the state Department of Revenue, which will offer it through Nissan dealers throughout Tennessee.

“We’ve worked hard in Tennessee to become a leader in driving clean energy solutions and creating clean energy jobs,” Bredesen said today in Nashville at the TVA Fuel Solutions Forum, which focused on using electricity to power vehicles.

Tennessee is one of six states and Washington, D.C. participating in the EV Project, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy and will set up nearly 15,000 charging stations in 16 cities located in six states.

In October and November, 1,535 charging stations for electric vehicles will be scattered across the state and extreme Northwest Georgia at rest areas, welcome centers, malls and big-box stores.

Another 1,000 charging stations will be put in the homes of early-bird buyers of the all-electric Nissan Leaf, who are to get their cars in December.

Also in October and November, 37 smart-charging stations will be set up in the greater Chattanooga area to prepare for the Leaf and the 2011 launch of the plug-in hybrid Chevrolet Volt.

Ruby Falls, Rock City and the Incline Railway will be the first sites in the Chattanooga area to offer charging stations to owners of electric vehicles.

For complete details, see tomorrow’s Times Free Press.