L.A. Auto Show: Nissan to bring EVs to U.S. by 2010, Ghosn says

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Carlos Ghosn, the polyglot chief executive of Renault-Nissan, said this morning that Nissan Motor Co. would bring ‘pure electric’ vehicles to the U.S. auto market by 2010.

Addressing the L.A. Auto Show, Ghosn said that he had signed an agreement with Oregon to deliver electric vehicles to the state and that the state’s governor would be seeking to replace a $1,500 hybrid vehicle tax credit with a $5,000 credit for all-electric vehicles. The deal includes utility Portland General Electric, which will work on electric infrastructure.

Ghosn did not specify what vehicle would have the EV capacity but said the company planned to sell electric vehicles and separately lease the batteries, potentially for $100 a month. A leased battery, he explained, could easily be swapped out for a better-performing one that offered longer range, preventing the vehicle from becoming obsolete (a phenomenon familiar to legions of iPod owners). It would also ensure that the toxic batteries were not disposed of improperly.

Ghosn said that Nissan was working with Nippon Electric Co. to create the battery and that he intended to sell the technology to other automakers if possible. Nissan also has accords with Israel, Denmark, Japan, France and Portugal to take electric cars to market. In Israel, a deal with startup Better Place will bring 500,000 recharging stations in coming years. And in Portugal, consumers will be able to apply for a 5,000-euro tax credit on electric car purchases.

Nissan has said it plans to begin selling an electric car in Japan as soon as 2009, although Ghosn said in his speech that it could be until 2010 that such a vehicle sells there.

Electric cars ‘are not just good politics, they’re good business,’ Ghosn said.

-- Ken Bensinger