LOS ANGELES (Kyodo) Nissan Motor Co. chief Carlos Ghosn said Wednesday this company can't consider forging capital alliances with other carmakers until the credit market thaws.
He thus ruled out the possibility of the Nissan-Renault S.A. coalition negotiating a partnership with Chrysler LLC.
The Japanese and French carmakers had reportedly proposed a capital tieup with Chrysler, but the U.S. automaker opted for merger talks with General Motors Corp., which hit a snag earlier this month. This gave rise to speculation that a partnership between the Nissan-Renault group and Chrysler might be a possibility.
Speaking at the Los Angeles Auto Show, Ghosn said Nissan's profit in the second half of this business year could sink close to zero. He said the outlook for 2009 is grim as well due to the financial crisis and the global economic downturn.
Ghosn said Nissan aims to boost its share of the global electric car market to 10 percent in 2020 and 50 percent in 2030.
Electrics for Oregon
Kyodo NewsNissan Motor Co. and business ally Renault S.A. said Thursday they have agreed to cooperate with the state of Oregon to set up a network of charging stations for electric cars.
Nissan intends to begin marketing electric cars in both Japan and the United States in fiscal 2010.
Portland General Electric Co., Oregon's largest utility, will play a key part in the multilateral project to set up and run the charging stations.
Nissan will supply its electric cars to the state government. Portland General Electric recently installed six charging stations.
In the first such deal with a U.S. state, Nissan President Carlos Ghosn said in July the firm had agreed with Tennessee to jointly study the infrastructure to launch electric cars in the U.S. in 2010.
