Carlos Ghosn predicted that about 10 per cent of vehicles sold worldwide in 2020 will be powered by electricity. The rest will be powered by gasolene, diesel, hybrids and other fuel sources.
"We're not going to take the market by storm," Ghosn said of electric vehicles. "Electricity is going to complement oil."
panel discussion
Ghosn made the remarks during a panel discussion sponsored by the Council on Foreign Relations in New York. Also speaking was Steven Rattner, the Wall Street financier who led the Obama administration's effort to restructure the United States (US) auto industry earlier this year.
Ghosn has been a vocal proponent of electric vehicles. Hybrids are important too, he said, but Toyota Motor Co has already staked out a leadership position in the hybrid market. Nissan Motor Co, however, can be a leader in the all-electric vehicle market, he said.
Nissan is releasing the Leaf electric car in limited numbers next year, and plans to put the vehicle into mass-production globally in 2012. The vehicle is currently on a multi-city tour around the US, and Ghosn said more than 25,000 people have signed up on Nissan's website, saying they are interested in the vehicle.
Ghosn said demand from rising economies like China and India will help lift demand for electric cars. He said as more people in those countries are able to afford cars, zero-emissions vehicles will be increasingly necessary, given higher emissions levels.