A plug-in hybrid Prius is parked under the solar-powered plug-in station at the Orlando Utilities Commission building in Orlando, Fla.

ORLANDO, Fla. - The City of Orlando has entered into a partnership with Renault -Nissan to make the city EV-friendly by installing a network of public and private charging stations – including a solar-powered one.

The solar-powered charging station -- Orlando’s first -- gets its electricity from an array of 16 photovoltaic panels that generate up to 2.8 kilowatts of electricity. It is being used to charge plug-in hybrid vehicles in the Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC) fleet.

OUC's partners on the solar charging station are: One World Sustainable, which provided the solar panels and installation; project manager Axios Construction Services; Atlantic Steel; Live Wire Electric and Nova Charge, which supplied the ChargePoint charging device.

"Nissan and the City of Orlando share the vision that zero-emissions mobility is the ultimate solution for addressing questions of climate change and energy independence,” said Carlos Tavares, chairman of Nissan Americas in a Feb. 2 press release.

Nissan will be launching its all-electric LEAF model in the U.S., Europe and Japan later this year.

The Renault -Nissan/Orlando partnership was announced during the Orlando stop of the Nissan LEAF Zero-Emission Tour, which will hit 24 cities.

Nissan and the City of Orlando share the vision that zero-emissions mobility is the ultimate solution for addressing questions of climate change and energy independence.
--Carlos Tavares, chairman of Nissan Americas

The Orlando partnership is one of more than a dozen Nissan has made with states, cities and utility companies in the U.S. to promote its zero-emissions vehicle.

The OUC has committed to purchasing up to ten Nissan LEAFs to add to its fleet of vehicles for education and service calls.

The city has also recently approved a high-speed rail system, expansion of its bus system, and expansion of bicycle infrastructure.

"OUC is dedicated to embracing fuel efficient technology like the Nissan LEAF and helping develop the infrastructure necessary to support it," said Byron Knibbs, OUC vice president of sustainable services.

These measures are part of the Green Works Orlando program, aimed at renovating the city to be more environmentally-conscious through promoting green lifestyles and business practices and conserving natural resources.

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