Nissan is taking green living from autos to houses.  That's right, earlier this month, the Japanese automaker announced a new joint project with City Ventures aimed at pre-wiring 190 houses in the state of California.

"Pre-wiring for what?" you ask. Level II electric vehicle charging docks recommended for the Nissan LEAF, that's what. And, while only three developments in California have been selected to initially participate in the initiative, City Ventures plans to pre-wire houses in all of its new housing developments, moving forward.

For Nissan drivers, not familiar with City Ventures, it essentially is one of the…

The first-generation 2011 Nissan LEAF has won a suite of awards and accolades in its first year on the market. It has earned a Breakthrough Award from Popular Mechanics, a place on both the 2011 Top Green Cars list and Ward's 10 Best Engines list, a 2011 TOP SAFETY PICK award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). And, let us not forget, it's the 2011 World Car of the Year!

Underlining the Nissan LEAF's position as the 2011 World Car of the Year as well as its IIHS TOP SAFETY PICK designation, is a more…