Last year was the year that the long awaited electric car came one step closer to becoming reality. What brought this on was two major car companies brought viable electric car models to market: Nissan’s Leaf and Chevrolet’s Volt. Nissan’s Leaf model has so far out sold Chevrolet’s at 10,100 units compared to Volt’s 2,029.

Nissan recently unveiled that their Leaf can also double as a backup of generator to a house as it as the capability to feed energy back into the house. They say it can power the average Japanese household for forty-eight hours. This is an important selling point in post tsunami Japan where power outages are still occurring. Not to mention they are trying to phase out nuclear power, and until other grids are in place there are gaps in service.

And in renewable energy news:  “Last month Nissan also demonstrated a system whereby electricity is generated through 488 solar cells that were installed on the roof of its headquarters in Yokohama near Tokyo. Nissan said that four batteries from the Leaf were placed in a box in a cellar-like part of the building, and stored the electricity generated from the solar cells, which is enough to fully charge 1,800 Leaf vehicles a year.”

It’s not just in Japan that the electric car is coming closer to fruition. In early August the Ontario government announced eighty million dollars to promote investment in electric car charging stations. If governments are willing to help put in the infrastructure needed to support the electric car not only is the idea a popular one amongst the general public, but also it will entice people to purchase an electric car in the future. One of the main concerns around electric cars, for everyday consumers, would be how to charge it when not at home.

On top of that the Ontario government offers up to eighty-five hundred dollars in incentives to buyers of electric cars, as they are entitled “to a green plate that grants them access to high occupancy vehicle lanes.”

This demonstrates that both the private and public sectors can work together to promote viable green alternatives like electric cars.
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