From Earth Techling's Nino Marchetti:
Been waiting for an American made Nissan Leaf? Turns out you may not have to wait much longer, as we are very close now to the Japanese automaker producing the 2013 version of this electric car in Tennessee. In fact, some work as already begun, as Nissan recently announced it began electric motor building trials at a plant in that state.
While primary production of the Leaf stateside will occur in Smyrna, Tenn., the plant the electric motor is being tested at is about 70 miles away in the city of Decherd. A nice little corporate video further on in this story details what’s been going on in Decherd, but what we can tell you here is that Nissan’s “globally certified trainer for eMotor production” spent two, three-month stints at the company’s global headquarters in Japan learning how to sculpt these motors.
And what goes into building an electric motor for a Nissan Leaf you might ask? To start with, over one mile of copper wire for each one, according to Nissan. This wire is wound to form the motor, later conducting an electro- magnetic field to create rotational force and pull a vehicle. It is said to take more time for an electric motor to be assembled compared to a gas engine, and it also takes about 25 people per shift to ensure an electric motor is made properly.
Nissan, which broke ground on the Smryna battery plant in mid-2010, aims to produce 200,000 batteries for its all-electric Leaf at this massive 1.3 million square feet facility. It sits alongside a vehicle assembly plant being retooled to accommodate production of 150,000 Leaf cars annually. As part of its gearing up for this increased domestic production, it was announced recently a third shift was being added in Smyrna, bringing along with it 810 new jobs.
The company said at the time it broke ground on its new battery facility that both plants together would reportedly create up to 1,300 jobs when operating at full capacity. It has poured an investment of up to $1.7 billion into these plants, of which $1.4 billion of that is via a U.S. Department of Energy loan issued as part of the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loan Program, a $25 billion program authorized by Congress as part of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007.
Tennessee and Nissan seem to have a bit of a love relationship going on, as the automaker has added more than 2000 manufacturing jobs there since mid-2011. The Smryna plant first opened in 1983 and has an annual production capacity of 550,000 vehicles on a capital investment of $2.5 billion. The company’s North American headquarters, meanwhile, are located in Franklin, Tenn., which you can happen to visit in a rather cool stretch Leaf limo if you are staying at one of the nearby hotels.
As for the future, reports the Nashville Business Journal, Nissan hopes by 2015 that 85 percent of its vehicles sold in the United States will be produced in North America. Besides a manufacturing presence in Tenn., there’s also a domestic plant in Canton, Mississippi.
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Nissan 'Cima'
Japan's auto giant Nissan Motor executive vice president Hiroto Saikawa (L) displays the company's new luxury sedan 'Cima', which has the new hybrid system with V6-3.5 litter gasoline engine and electric motor to achieve 364-horsepower high performance and good economy efficency of 16.6km per litter at the company's headquarters in Yokohama, suburban Tokyo on April 25, 2012. Nissan will put it on the market from May. YOSHIKAZU TSUNO/AFP/Getty Images
Lexus RX 450h Hybrid SUV
Japan's auto giant Toyota Motor managing officer Kazuo Ohara (R) introduces the company's newly designed Lexus RX 450h hybrid SUV with a 3.5-litre V6 engine in Tokyo on April 12, 2012. Toyota will put it on the market on April 21. YOSHIKAZU TSUNO/AFP/Getty Images
Fisker Karma
A Fisker Karma hybrid car is displayed at the US carmaker's booth on March 6, 2012 during a press day ahead of the 82nd Geneva Motor Show in Geneva. Some 700 carmakers will be taking part in the Geneva Motor Show, which opens to the public from March 8 to 18. FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP/Getty Images
Hyundai Sonata Hybrid
The Hyundai Sonata hybrid car on display February 2, 2012 at the 2012 Washington Auto Show at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC. The auto show runs through February 5. KAREN BLEIER/AFP/Getty Images
Toyota Prius C Hybrid
The Toyota Prius C hybrid is introduced during a press preview at the North American International Auto Show at the COBO Center January 10, 2012 in Detroit, Michigan. The NAIAS opens to the public January 14th and continues through January 22nd. (Photo by Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)
Mercedes F 125 Concept Fuel Cell Hybrid
A Mercedes F 125 Concept fuel cell hybrid car is on display at the international motor show IAA (Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung) in Frankfurt/M, western Germany, on September 14, 2011. The world's biggest motor show, the IAA, is running on display at the international motor show IAA (Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung) in Frankfurt/M, western Germany, on September 14, 2011. The world's biggest motor show, the IAA, is running from September 15 to 25, 2011. PATRIK STOLLARZ/AFP/Getty Images
BMW i8 Plug-In Hybrid All-Electric
LOS ANGELES, CA - NOVEMBER 17: The BMW i8 plug-in hybrid all-electric concept car makes its North American debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show on November 17, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. The car show opens to the public tomorrow and runs through November 27. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
Volkswagen SUV 'Cross Coupe'
Models show off the concept SUV 'Cross Coupe' of German's Volkswagen, which is the all-whell-drive plug-in hybrid vehicle, during the Tokyo Motor Show in Tokyo on November 30, 2011. TORU YAMANAKA/AFP/Getty Images
Toyota 'Aqua'
Journalists check Japanese auto giant Toyota Motor's new compact hybrid car 'Aqua', equipped with a 1.5-litter gasoline engine and an electric motor to drive the five-seater body in Tokyo on December 26, 2011. The world's highest efficiency vehicle, which achieved 35.4km/litter for fuel efficiency, started to sell here. YOSHIKAZU TSUNO/AFP/Getty Images
Peugeot Citroen RC Hybrid
People look at a RC hybrid car by French car maker PSA Peugeot Citroen on December 14, 2011 at the Peugeot store on the Champs Elysees avenue in Paris. PSA will experience a 'significant loss' for the second half of the year said the president of the board Philippe Varin during a hearing at the National Assembly in Paris on December 14, 2011. LIONEL BONAVENTURE/AFP/Getty Images
Toyota Camry Hybrid
Japan's auto giant Toyota Motor unveils the new 'Camry' hybrid sedan, equipped with a 2.5-litre engine with an electric motor hybrid system, during a press preview in Tokyo on September 5, 2011. Toyota started selling the mid-sized flagship sedan from September 5. YOSHIKAZU TSUNO/AFP/Getty Images
Toyota 'Prius A'
A cameraman takes video of the new 'Prius a' (alpha) minivan-style hybrid vehicles by Japan's auto maker Toyota Motor in Tokyo on May 13, 2011. Toyota annouced the launch of the seven-seat model equipped with a lithium-ion rechargeable battery, with the five-seat model equipped with a nickel metal hydride battery in Japan. TORU YAMANAKA/AFP/Getty Images
The Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid
The Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid Facebook Race Car during the 2011 New York International Auto Show at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York April 21,2011. TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images
Chevy Volt Hybrid
DETROIT- NOVEMBER 30: A General Motors Chevrolet Volt goes through assembly after GM celebrated the official launch of the Chevrolet Volt hybrid electric vehicle at GM's Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly November 30, 2010 in Detroit, Michigan. The Volt extended-range electric vehicle, for which 1,000 jobs will be created by General Motors over the next two years, started production earlier this month. (Photo by Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)
BMW ActiveE
The hybrid car 'BMW ActiveE' is presented at a plant of German carmaker BMW in Leipzig, eastern Germany, 05 November 2010. BMW are expanding its Leipzig plant for the production of the newly-developed Megacity Vehicle, a zero-emission car featuring an extremly light plastic bod, and is to be produced in Leipzig from 2013. AFP PHOTO / POOL / PETER ENDIG (Photo credit should read PETER ENDIG/AFP/Getty Images)
Honda 'Fit Hybrid'
Japan's auto maker Honda Motor president Takanobu Ito introduces the company's new hybrid compact car 'Fit Hybrid', equipped with 1.3-litre electric motor and front-wheel drive during a preview at the company's headquarters in Tokyo on October 8, 2010. Honda started selling the vehicle on the Japanese market and will export to Europe as the 'Jazz Hybrid'. YOSHIKAZU TSUNO/AFP/Getty Images
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