After spending decades cycling behind vehicles and their toxic tailpipe emissions, Lance Armstrong has found a vehicle he can get behind — the 2011 Nissan Leaf. Armstrong is part of a new media campaign for Nissan that will also feature voice-overs by Robert Downey Jr.

 

For years, the company has asked Americans to "Shift" their auto-buying habits to Nissan. As the company prepares for the release of its first mass-produced all-electric vehicle, Nissan is shifting its focus to a new theme: "Innovation for All."

 

The innovative Nissan Leaf is the perfect vehicle to lead Nissan's new campaign. Nissan recently released specific details about the availability of the Leaf. Consumers in Arizona, California, Oregon, Tennessee and Washington will be able to purchase or lease a Nissan Leaf beginning in December 2010.

 

These states were chosen because they all participate in the EV Project, a partnership with ECOtality that has received funding from the U.S. Department of Energy to create the largest electric vehicle infrastructure in the nation.

 

In January 2011, the Nissan Leaf will be available to customers in Texas and Hawaii. Interested consumers in North Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Washington D.C., Virginia, Maryland, South Carolina and Alabama will be able to purchase a Leaf in April 2011. The company then plans to continue to roll out the Nissan Leaf to the rest of the nation later in 2011.