FRANKLIN, TN - Starting in December, the first Nissan LEAF models will be available in California, Washington, Oregon, Arizona, and Tennessee.

These five states are home to The EV Project - the largest electric vehicle and infrastructure deployment ever undertaken, according to Nissan. The EV Project is a result of a partnership with charging infrastructure provider ECOtality and partially funded by a grant from the U.S. Dept. of Energy. Customers in these first five launch states, who represent more than 55 percent of total Nissan LEAF reservations, will be able to place firm orders for the Nissan LEAF starting in August.

Nissan LEAF will be introduced to Texas and Hawaii shortly thereafter, in January 2011; North Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Washington DC, Virginia, Maryland, South Carolina and Alabama follow in April 2011; and be rolled-out to the balance of the nation beginning in fall 2011 with availability in all markets nationwide by the end of that year.

"We are pleased to see so many people making a choice for a zero-emission future by placing reservations for the Nissan LEAF," said Brian Carolin, senior vice president, Sales and Marketing, Nissan North America. "Consumer feedback and market readiness have been key drivers in developing our phased rollout. Nissan is able to target areas of customer demand for early launch, while continuing to work in future markets to ensure the continued success of electric vehicles."

The Nissan LEAF will carry a warranty of 8 years or 100,000 miles.

Nissan is dedicated to improving the environment under the Nissan Green Program 2010, with key priorities to reduce CO2 emissions, cut other emissions, and increase recycling.