Blog of RENAULT NISSAN Alliance

Nissan made history again with the first delivery of a Nissan LEAF on the island of Puerto Rico. The customer? A family owned business dedicated to renewable energy projects. So dedicated, in fact, they purchased two all-electric Nissan LEAFs.

“We were very anxious for the arrival of the LEAF. Nissan decided to bring them here and we were delighted to make the purchase. The vehicle has given us excellent results,” said Victor González, owner of Windmar Renewable Energy, Inc.

The Nissan LEAF is now available across this island paradise. It has generated much excitement at dealerships, such as the Adriel Auto in Toa Baja, Puerto Rico.

“For Puerto Rico, the LEAF is ideal because of the distances we drive on a daily basis. Everyone’s reaction has been incredible. Everyone is very impressed with the car. Since it is 100 percent electric, everyone is very impressed with the vehicle’s performance. It is the perfect vehicle for the island of Puerto Rico,” said Adriel Amaro González.

The Island of Puerto Rico is only 170km long and 60km wide, allowing most of the journeys to be covered on one full charge. The Nissan LEAF has a range of 121 km (75 mi) according to the US Environmental Protection Agency.

“Solar energy – and electric vehicles using such power or other renewable energy – make a lot of sense. In an island such as this, one you don’t go too fast or too far. So when we couple the LEAF with our solar panels, like the ones we have in our homes and businesses, the cost of energy needed for the LEAF is greatly reduced,” said Victor González.

Globally, there now are more than 130,000 Nissan LEAFs on the road throughout 35 countries in four continents, and now the island of Puerto Rico. This is a great opportunity in a country recording 661 vehicles per 1000 inhabitant (2010).

“It is the beginning of the electric vehicle in Puerto Rico. It was a very important event,” said Juan Gonzalez of Windmar Renewable Energy Inc.

The arrival of the car on the Island  is in line with Puerto Rico's new energy policy. In 2012, only 1% of Puerto Rico's electricity came from renewable energy - 65% came from petroleum, 18% from natural gas and 16% from coal. The goal is to reach 20% by 2035, with an intermediate 15%-objective by 2020. Promoting a car requiring electricity to run is the best way to raise awareness about sustainability issues.

Sources : 

Puerto Rico Green Erengy Fund 

US Energy Information Administration : Puerto Rico Territory Energy Profile 

The World Bank data