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ECOtality, Nissan Unveil Nissan LEAF in Pacific Northwest


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SEATTLE--Electric Transportation Engineering Corporation (eTec), a subsidiary of ECOtality, Inc., a leader in clean electric transportation and storage technologies, will join Nissan North America today in the debut of the zero-emission LEAF electric vehicle in the Pacific Northwest. The news conference that offers this first glimpse of the LEAF will begin at 11:00 a.m. at Qwest Field, and will feature King County Executive Dow Constantine, Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels, Jim Francfort of Idaho National Labs, as well as representatives of eTec and Nissan.

In August 2009, ECOtality’s eTec was awarded nearly $100 million from the U.S. Department of Energy to facilitate The EV Project, the largest rollout of electric-vehicle infrastructure in the United States. With a match from project partners, The EV Project has a total project value of more than $200 million, and will support electric vehicles with home-base, commercial and public chargers in major markets in five states: Washington (Seattle area), Oregon (Portland, Salem, Corvallis and Eugene), Arizona, California and Tennessee.

To facilitate its work in the Pacific Northwest, eTec has added Richard Feldman to its staff as Regional Manager for Planning and Business Development in the Pacific Northwest. Feldman has a long history of public service, having most recently worked as senior advisor to the Mayor of Seattle.

With a population of ten million from Vancouver, British Columbia to Eugene, Oregon, high numbers of environmentally conscious consumers and major corporations, and significant sources of clean energy, the Pacific Northwest is poised to be one of the strongest markets in North America for highway-capable electric vehicles. eTec is currently planning to establish a regional office responsible for working with project partners, federal, state and local governments, utilities, non-governmental organizations and businesses. This office will work toward developing and implementing a roadmap for the infrastructure necessary to provide the Pacific Northwest with an environment that encourages mass consumer adoption of clean electric vehicles.

ECOtality’s CEO, Jonathan Read, said, “We are excited to have the Pacific Northwest as a selected market for The EV Project, and especially pleased to participate in debuting the LEAF here in the region. We believe that effective adoption of this technology in the Pacific Northwest is critical to the success of the Project and EVs in North America.” Read added, “ECOtality and eTec are also very proud to have Rich Feldman on our team, helping to lead the way toward full implementation of the project.”

Seattle is a key stop on the Nissan LEAF Zero Emission Tour, which is making stops in 22 cities, in 11 states, the District of Columbia, and Vancouver, Canada, offering the opportunity for interested drivers, media, civic partners, businesses and university students to learn more about Nissan LEAF and the benefits of zero-emission driving. In the Seattle area, stops include Qwest Field, Bellevue, University of Washington, and Winterfest at the Seattle Center.

For more information about The EV Project, please visit http://www.theevproject.com/.

About ECOtality, Inc.

ECOtality, Inc. (OTCBB:ETLE), headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, is a leader in clean electric transportation and storage technologies. Through innovation, acquisitions, and strategic partnerships, ECOtality accelerates the market applicability of advanced electric technologies to replace carbon-based fuels. For more information about ECOtality, Inc., please visit www.ecotality.com.

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