Transportation chief tours Tennessee Nissan plant

“With gas prices at record highs, the Obama Administration has taken aggressive action to make sure families have access to fuel efficient vehicles that can help reduce their transportation costs,” LaHood said in a statement.
 
“That’s why I’m so thrilled to see the progress Nissan is making at its new manufacturing facility, where American workers will soon be building cutting-edge batteries for a new generation of electric vehicles that are good for the environment, good for the economy, and good for American consumers,” he said.  
 
Last week, the White House said President Obama’s tough love saved the U.S. auto industry in Detroit. Additionally, with polls showing voters are growing weary of high gas prices, the administration has a heightened interest in touting the production of the Leaf.