Berlino said:
Slightly off topic, but how much more is a sale in various CARB-ZEV states worth to a manufacturer than the same sale elsewhere?
There is a "traveling" clause, and typically the credit is worth 1/2 what it is worth in California from another CARB state. This expires Jan 1, 2018, when the auto manufacturer will have to actually sell the car in the actual CARB states, not just all in California and get credit for the other states.
I doubt any province is CARB compliant (and there's no reason why it couldn't be), so if your theory holds water (and I do believe it does), then Nissan would want to sell as much as they can in California and other CARB states.
Nissan recently announced that they would be selling CARB credits.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-08-29/nissan-joins-tesla-selling-california-green-car-credits.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
By Alan Ohnsman - Aug 29, 2013 3:00 PM PT
Nissan Motor Co. (7201), the most prolific electric-car maker, has begun selling green-car credits under California’s clean-air rules. The only automaker that had previously disclosed doing so is Tesla Motors Inc. (TSLA)
California requires large automakers to sell electric or other zero-emission vehicles in proportion to their share of the largest U.S. state market for cars and trucks. Nissan has delivered enough of its all-electric Leaf hatchbacks that it has started selling excess credits, Executive Vice President Andy Palmer told reporters in Irvine, California, this week.
“
We’ve got carbon credits to sell, and we’re selling them -- California ZEV credits,” Palmer said.