2007 Tokyo Auto Show: 30 minutes with Carlos Ghosn, CEO of Renault and Nissan

[Merc1]

I just spent 30 minutes with Carlos Ghosn, the CEO of Renault and Nissan. The man is a sound bite machine. Here are some highlights.

On the immediate success of the GT-R: "We're receiving bulk orders for the GT-R from the middle east. 20-to-30 cars per order."

On the continued popularity of perfomance cars over green machines: "At the end of the day we are still a car manufacturer. We are in the business of making cars people want to buy, not the cars we want or think we should build."

On the same topic and the ultimate desirability of the Pivo2, Nissan's funky electric concept car: "The Pivo2 is the car you want your neighbor to buy. The GT-R is a car of passion."

On importance of a company's image created through Formula 1 and other motorsports involvement: "Nothing replaces a great product."

On the growing threat to the automobile from climate change and fuel prices: "The biggest threat for us is that the car becomes a commodity."

On his life long passion for cars: "When I was 16, 17, 18 years old, I remember the car was everything to me."

On that same passion in today's youth and the competition for their attention from TV, iPods, video games, etc.: "In emerging markets like China and India, young people are more passionate about cars."

-- Scott Oldham, Inside Line Editor in Chief


Straightline - 2007 Tokyo Auto Show: 30 minutes with Carlos Ghosn, CEO of Renault and Nissan

 

[Merc1]

2007 Tokyo Auto Show: Nissan sees a future for diesel in the U.S.

Nissan's Executive Vice President Carlos Tavares has become the latest big-name exec to predict a big future for diesel in the U.S. Nissan will introduce a Renault-made V6 diesel in the Maxima in 2010, and although Tavares admits that he's "just guessing about the volumes," he believes that "when customers understand what a clean diesel means, we will change the image."

Tavares admitted that a U.S. customer's "reference point is far away" in terms of their expectations of diesel performance. "We shouldn't talk about diesel; we should let them drive the car," he said. "The best way is to demonstrate; the joy of driving must be experienced. The refinement of a modern diesel is not what a U.S. customer thinks it is. Customers do not have to compromise on performance but they get an improvement in fuel economy."

But while he was optimistic about the future of diesel in the U.S., he admitted that, "It's arrogant to say that one technical solution fits all the markets because the infrastructure and the education of consumers are different." In addition to the introduction of diesel and gas-electric hybrid technology, Tavares revealed that Nissan will have an electric car on sale in 2010. "We will initially launch it in one mature market," he said, "but we haven't yet decided which one." -- Alistair Weaver, European Editor, Inside Line

Straightline - 2007 Tokyo Auto Show: Nissan sees a future for diesel in the U.S.

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