A Green Idea!

Terms:
"Green-collar-jobs"- jobs that combine the 20th century blue collar jobs and merge it with working to better the environment. These include jobs in renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, and green building.

low-carbon vehicles- battery posts that are used to charge and electric car.

Nissan Leaf- 5 passenger car that is 100% electric. It can go up to 100 miles per charge and it takes 4-8 hours on a 220V home charging unit. At a quick-charge station, the Leaf take about 26 minutes to charge to 80%.

The North East of England has a green idea that is sure to boost their economy, better the environment, and make Nissan a very happy company! They plan to create the region into a "low-carbon economic area for ultra low-carbon vehicles." Firms and other organizations, along with some investments from the "public purse", want to install charging points. Other councils, companies, supermarkets, and universities will also be installing charging point. Therefore the Newcastle City Council estimates a total of 620 charging points by the end of the year. As a bonus electric car drivers will not have to pay for the electricity or for the parking while they charge. Don't have an electric car? No problem! The government will give consumers a "plug-in car grant" to anybody buying an electric car from January 2011. This grant is worth up to 5,000 pounds.
This program is music to Nissan's ears. The company owns a huge factory in Sunderland that produces a "third" of England's manufactured cars. With the launching of their new and premiere electric car the Leaf later this year, Nissan is hoping that with a lot of advertisement and showcasing people will buy. The government and the Regional Development Agency are working to invest in "world-class electric motoring research establishments" for the project while Nissan is working to have a training college for sustainable manufacturing.
This project is also good for the creation of thousands of new jobs. These jobs are known as "green-collar-jobs". These jobs will include training personnel, installing charging points, research and development, and manufacturing.
I think this is a great move for the UK. They are bettering the environment with electric cars and taking action against climate change. This project will also help boost the economy by creating jobs for the people of England and helping people who want to invest in a green car a possibility. As for Nissan, this project will give them an edge against competion and maybe even boost the popularity of their new car. It seems pretty cool!

Link:
"The North East eye low carbon future"
by Jorn Madslien
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8507888.stm