Nissan Aims To Sell Elec Cars At Prices Close To Ordinary Cars

Ghosn announced at a news conference in Yokohama that the automaker will begin U.S. production of electric cars at its Smyrna, Tennessee, factory by 2012. Nissan plans to launch sales of electric cars, mainly to corporations in Japan and the U.S., next year before marketing them to consumers across the world starting in 2012. Ghosn said Nissan plans to tap the U.S. government’s low-interest loans for green vehicles, and it intends to handle everything from battery production to vehicle assembly in the U.S. It plans to assemble electric vehicles in the U.K. or Spain. And it is also considering launching start-to-finish production in China. Ghosn explained that Nissan and French partner Renault SA will each offer three electric models. After introducing small passenger cars in the fall of next year, it plans to release business-use models and others gradually in 2012 or afterward, he said. The i-MiEV electric car due out from Mitsubishi Motors Corp. (7211) next month will be priced at 4.59 million yen. Given the high costs for the batteries, in some countries the automaker may provide the batteries to customers through leases, he added. (June 24, 2009)