Nissan announced today that it has selected Hawaii as one of the launch states for the all-electric Nissan Leaf. Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle said the island state was selected due to its commitment to over-reliance on imported fossil fuels and desire for increasing energy security. Hawaii also the highest gas prices in the country—currently at about $3.50 a gallon. At that price, a car that gets 25 miles per gallon has a fuel cost of 14 cents per mile. At $0.23 per kilowatt-hour, the Nissan leaf has a fuel cost of 5 cents per mile.

"Nissan is looking forward to bringing the all-electric Nissan LEAF to the people of Hawaii," said Brian Carolin, senior vice president, sales and marketing, Nissan North America. "Through its work in fostering zero-emissions mobility throughout the state, Hawaii is demonstrating that it is EV-ready.”

Hawaii has a small auto market, but consumer demand for EVs is high, according to state officials. “We believe that the introduction and expansion of electric vehicles will give consumers more choices and reduce our state’s overdependence on fossil fuels,” said Theodore Liu, Director, State Dept. of Business, Economic Development and Tourism.