Nissan produces affordable electric car and batteries in USA

SMYRNA — By the end of next year, Nissan is expected to make history here when it begins producing the world’s first affordable, mass-market, all-electric vehicle and the lithium-ion batteries that power it.

Nissan broke ground on the battery plant, which is about 75 percent finished, about a year ago. Nissan officials expect it to be completed by the end of this summer. The all-electric Leaf and its batteries will begin being produced in Smyrna Tennessee late next year. The construction of the battery plant and the retooling of the Nissan manufacturing facility were made possible by a $1.4 billion loan from the United States Department of Energy.

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New Agency Unveils Mortgage Disclosure Forms

WASHINGTON—Seeking to simplify the home-buying process, the new consumer protection agency on Wednesday unveiled mortgage disclosure forms aimed at helping home buyers understand the terms of loans and shop around for the best offers.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's first step toward streamlining the mortgage-financing legalese won early praise from consumer groups and some bank-trade associations, such as the Financial Services Roundtable, but they also warned that much hard work lies ahead. Previous attempts to simplify mortgage disclosures have failed partly because of intense opposition from a spectrum of interests including mortgage lenders, brokers, title companies and consumer groups.

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