Subtle. Maxis has a new SimCity building available for download starting today at no cost to your wallet, but with a slight hit to your integrity as a mayor. It's a Nissan Leaf charging station . How can I tell? It's probably because of the bright-red corporate nose-thumbing stretching across the station's turf. Since it's a plopable unit, the station provides additional effects for your population of a pretty lopsided nature.
Maxis explains: "The charging station will be a new destination in player's cities where their Sims will drive their Nissan Leaf cars in order to recharge them. Once they leave, the Sims will find themselves happier. Plopping down the station will add happiness to nearby buildings. It will not take power, water, or workers away from your city. Zoom in to the streets of cities, and players will start seeing a percentage of their Sims from all wealth classes driving the electric vehicles. The station produces no garbage or sewage, as well, making it pollution free."
In other words, you're handed a Mary Sue building doubling as a constant happiness generator with no significant downsides beyond the space it takes up. Oh, and the cheerily red logo made large enough so you can spot it at most zoom levels. I prefer to keep my city clean of overt marketing, but it's sure going to get tough when the Nike sidewalks speed up pedestrian traffic by 150 percent and the Firestone streets make cars exhaust Simoleons instead of pollution.
If you still want the charging station, you can get it either by punching up the in-game store or visiting Origin .
