http://www.mysanantonio.com/business/local/nissan_committed_to_all-electric_gamble_95549004.html
Not a lot new here but I like Ghosn's attitude to the press. He's not couching his words; even goes so far as to essentially label hybrids as "niche products". Talk about nerve.. or is it "Ghosn-ads". (sorry)
Not a lot new here but I like Ghosn's attitude to the press. He's not couching his words; even goes so far as to essentially label hybrids as "niche products". Talk about nerve.. or is it "Ghosn-ads". (sorry)
by G. Chambers Williams - G. Chambers Williams III ...
-snip- ...
It's a big gamble, pouring even more money into an ambitious project to build electric cars that some critics say consumers might never embrace.
But Nissan President and CEO Carlos Ghosn said he remains fully committed to the project, to which Nissan and its European partner, Renault, already have pledged more than $5 billion.
Analysts say the Leaf and other Nissan/Renault electric cars might succeed if gasoline prices rise to new record levels and remain there, but otherwise they could be slow catching on with consumers. The Leaf runs completely on battery power and must be recharged by an external source — whereas hybrids also have gasoline engines to recharge the batteries and to propel the vehicles.
Although Nissan will become the first automaker to attempt to mass-market electric cars, “there is not a mass market for these vehicles yet,” said George Peterson, president of the research firm AutoPacific.
... -snip- ...
“It's kind of the wild, wild West out there right now, with manufacturers trying all kinds of things from hybrids to plug-in hybrids to pure electrics,” Peterson said. “Who knows what the right technology is going to be? But pure electrics are still hampered by a short range and a long charge time. Until those issues are resolved, a hybrid seems to make a lot more sense.”
...-snip-...
In an interview with a few automotive reporters at the Tennessee plant after the groundbreaking, Ghosn defended his plans, saying that someone needed to take the initiative and to commit to making electric cars for the masses.
Looking at the dismal future for cars fueled by petroleum — and the promise of electrics — Nissan decided, “We're going to go for it,” he said.
...-snip-...
But those reservations are “not yet sales,” Ghosn said, and it remains to be seen just how big the demand for the car will be.
“For the moment, we're encouraged,” he said. “This car is going to be a winner, and it is going to be a game-changer.”
He said he doesn't see the investment as a risk, as some critics have suggested.
“It's an opportunity,” Ghosn said. “I'm convinced this car is going to be a moneymaker. I don't know yet when that will happen.
“We're not amateurs,” he said. “We're not putting $5 billion into a product with no return.”
The decision to become the first automaker to mass-market electric cars was part business and part vanity, he suggested, saying that while the Leaf will “help the economy and the ecology of the world,” it also will be good for Nissan's image.
...snip...
“I have been skeptical how far we could go with hybrids,” he said, adding that he doesn't believe they ever will be anything more than “niche products.”
“The electric car is different,” Ghosn said. “All carmakers will come to electric cars, one way or another.”
They will be forced to because of increasing demand on the world's dwindling oil supplies, Ghosn said.
For now, though, Ghosn said he knows that electric cars aren't for everyone.
“We're not trying to answer every single question,” he said, referring to such issues as the Leaf's range of only 100 miles between battery charges. “We're not going after the customer who drives long distances.”
...-snip-...
Electric cars eventually will be cheaper to build than cars powered by gasoline, he said, because they're less complicated and have fewer parts. Work also is progressing on making the battery packs cheaper, he said.
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“The cost of gasoline will drive the numbers of people buying electric cars up,” he said. “But there are people who will buy no matter what the gas prices are.”
Despite the criticism he hears of the decision to mass-market electric cars, Ghosn said he remains convinced that “it makes a lot of sense.”
“Oil prices will go up,” he said. “Regulations on emissions are becoming tighter and tighter. At a certain time, we will have to have transportation with zero emissions and zero dependence on oil.”... more at http://www.mysanantonio.com/business/local/nissan_committed_to_all-electric_gamble_95549004.html