Nissan has announced a US national tour of their new pure EV, Leaf, and its first American public showings begin November 13th in southern California. 
Leaf is ready for its close-up at the Tokyo Motor Show
Much of the talk at this week's Tokyo Motor Show, the 41st iteration of that extravaganza, held in Makuhari, about one half hour north of Tokyo, was understandably about EVs, hybrids and various other green technologies. Nissan, however, topped the competition by displaying a production version of Leaf, the only Japanese car maker at the show claiming they're not just working on a real-world, production EV, but showing one they'll be making and selling worldwide beginning in 2011.
There's still room for overwrought fun, though. Toyota introduced a production version of their Lexus LF-A supercar, a $375,000, 552-horsepower monster with a 4.8 liter V10 engine. Only 500 will be built in total for the world and production commences in December, 2010. Much more at: www.Lexus-LFA.com.
On the other hand, at Tokyo, Lexus displayed a production verison of their new LF-A supercar ... not very green, but a helluva lotta fun ... what do you think of the car's looks? Me? I'm not so sure ...
Here's the Leaf tour information from a Nissan press release:
Nissan North America announced that the Nissan LEAF zero-emission, all-electric car will make its North American debut in Los Angeles on Nov. 13. The Los Angeles showing will be the first time people in the United States will be able to see the five-passenger, five-door, gasoline-free car, which is embarking on a nationwide tour.
The Nissan LEAF Zero Emission Tour will make stops in 22 cities, in 11 states, the District of Columbia, and Vancouver, Canada, offering the opportunity for interested drivers, media, civic partners, businesses and university students to learn more about the Nissan LEAF and the benefits of zero-emission driving.
Interior of production Leaf
Follow the tour, get updates on the final schedule and specific showings, and sign up for more information, at www.nissanusa.com/Leaf-electric-car. Look for the Nissan LEAF to make public appearances in the following areas during these times:
Southern California
Los Angeles: Nov. 13-17
Orange County: Nov. 18
San Diego: Nov. 19-21
Northern California
Berkeley/Walnut Creek: Nov. 23-24
San Francisco: Nov. 25-29
Santa Rosa: Dec. 1
Sacramento: Dec. 1
San Jose: Dec. 3-6
Pacific Northwest
Seattle: Dec. 8-12
Vancouver, Canada: Dec. 14-15
Portland, Ore.: Dec. 17-23
Rear 3/4 view of Leaf
Southwest
Phoenix/Tucson: Dec. 30-Jan. 5
Las Vegas: Jan. 6
Midwest/East Coast
Detroit: Jan. 11-13
Knoxville/Chattanooga, Tenn.: Jan. 16
Middle Tennessee: Jan. 19-21
Washington, D.C.: Jan. 26-28
Raleigh, N.C.: Jan. 29
Orlando: Feb. 1-2
Texas
Houston: Feb. 5-6
New York
New York City: Feb. 9-14
Leaf's drivetrain
Nissan is the only automaker committed to making all-electric vehicles available to the mass market on a global scale. Through the Nissan LEAF Zero Emission Tour, Nissan will be showcasing the electric vehicle and battery technology as well as the company's zero-emission mobility objectives. Nissan already has partnered on the development of an electric-vehicle infrastructure through partnerships in the State of Tennessee, the State of Oregon, Sonoma County, San Diego, Phoenix, Tucson, Washington D.C., Seattle, Raleigh, and Vancouver. Additional partnerships will be announced in the near future.
In North America, Nissan's operations include automotive design, engineering, consumer and corporate financing, sales and marketing, distribution and manufacturing. Nissan is dedicated to improving the environment under the Nissan Green Program 2010, whose key priorities are reducing CO2 emissions, cutting other emissions and increasing recycling. 
Prototype Leaf instrument panel from an earlier version of the car
More information on the Nissan LEAF and zero emissions can be found at www.nissan-usa.com/Leaf-electric-car and
www.nissan-zeroemission.com
(end Nissan release)
By the way, those two websites are really fun.
Also, while we're talking about the LA Auto Show and green technology, Green Car Journal (www.GreenCar.com) has announced its five finalists for their 2010 Green Car of the Year award. For the fifth consecutive year, the award will be announced during a press conference at the Los Angeles Auto Show on Dec. 3. The finalists are the Audi A3 TDI, Honda Insight, Mercury Milan Hybrid, Toyota Prius and Volkswagen Golf TDI (Prius was named Japan Car of the Year at the Tokyo Motor Show this past weekend).
Will you be lining up to see Leaf in your area? And what do you think of the Green Car of the Year nominees?