THIMPHU, Bhutan (February 21, 2014) – Nissan has pledged its support for the Kingdom of Bhutan’s transition to an electric vehicle fleet. Nissan has entered into an agreement with the Royal Government of Bhutan with the shared goal of achieving the nation’s eco-friendly vision for the future. The agreement follows talks between the Prime Minister of Bhutan Tshering Tobgay and Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn in Thimphu last year. Mr. Ghosn returned to the capital of Bhutan today to make the announcement alongside the Prime Minister.
“The Royal Government of Bhutan is pleased to launch this partnership with Nissan as we work to achieve our vision of a leading global EV nation,” said Tshering Tobgay, Bhutan’s prime minister. “Nissan’s global experience will be invaluable as we make progress towards an electrified national transport infrastructure.”
“As the world’s leader in zero emissions and the maker of the best-selling electric vehicle, the Nissan LEAF, we believe in and will support Bhutan’s breakthrough vision of its future transportation,” said Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn. “We will also use the opportunity of supplying the Nissan LEAF and our quick chargers to Bhutan to demonstrate how our electric vehicle business can be scaled in emerging markets that are rich in clean-energy.”
Bhutan’s government is targeting EVs as a key strategy to achieve its goal of becoming a zero emissions nation. It envisages Thimphu as a “clean-electric” city in which transportation for its more than 100,000 citizens is powered by clean energy. Bhutan generates sufficient hydro-electricity that clean energy is the country’s major export, but it must import fossil fuels to run its current vehicle fleet. Bhutan is seeking to reduce its oil imports significantly.
