MURFREESBORO, TN – Middle Tennessee State University received a Nissan LEAF vehicle and three charging stations from Nissan. MSTU officials stated that the school will add the vehicle to its motor pool, and that the charging stations will be available for use by students, faculty, and the public. The donated vehicle is designed to help promote the use of electric vehicle technology in the area.

Nissan operates a plant in Smyrna, which is one of three in the U.S. The automaker opened the plant in 1983, and the plant will produce the LEAF by the end of the year. Nissan also plans to open a new plant that will build lithium-ion batteries in Smyrna this year.

"As Nissan and MTSU are two of the largest employers in Rutherford County, our future and success are, in many ways, intertwined," University President Sidney A. McPhee said. "This is a significant expansion in the relationship we have enjoyed with Nissan.

The automaker also donated a Titan pickup truck to the University.