Washington, D.C.– Some of the country’s first all-electric Nissan Leaf vehiclesarrived in Phoenix this week. The city is an early participant in the Recovery Act-funded Electric Vehicle (EV) Project, which will deploy thousands of electric vehicles and charging stations in cities across the country.

“Arizona is at the forefront of America’s efforts to electrify our transportation sector, reduce our dependence on foreign oil, and create new clean energy jobs,” said Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva of the announcement. “Recovery Act funding for these kinds of projects are critical to improving both the environment and the economy, and we need to keep making these kinds of smart investments in green jobs for the future.”

A company called ECOtality North America was awarded nearly $115 million through the Recovery Act to launch the EV Project, the largest deployment of electric vehicles and infrastructure in the country. The EV Project will install nearly 15,000 electric vehicle charging points and deploy 8,500 electric drive vehicles, including the Nissan Leaf, in Phoenix and other locations across the country. ECOtality will collect and analyze data on vehicle use and charging infrastructure effectiveness. The company estimates that the project will save or create nearly 1,500 jobs.

To learn more about the Department of Energy’s Vehicle Technologies Program and other efforts to develop and deploy fuel-efficient vehicles, visit http://vehicles.energy.gov. To learn more about other Department of Energy Recovery Act investments, visit http://www.energy.gov/recovery/index.htm.