Nissan Kicks Off U.S. Tour of Electric Car

By TAMARA AUDI
LOS ANGELES — Nissan Motor Co. chief executive Carlos Ghosn kicked off a U.S. tour of his company's electric car Friday, an attempt to convince consumers that the vehicle, called the Leaf, is a real option.
Nissan, Japan's third-biggest car company by sales volume, plans to sell the Leaf in the U.S., Europe and Japan by the end of next year. The release comes as more consumers search for ways to reduce their impact on the environment, and escape fluctuating gas prices.
With a Leaf prototype—a four-door powder blue hatchback-- parked nearby, and flanked by a panel of prominent California environmentalists, Mr. Ghosn told a crowd of journalists gathered in the parking lot of Dodger's Stadium that he wants the public to see the Leaf is "not a golf cart, it's a real car."
The Leaf will have plenty of competition. Toyota Motor Corp and Honda Motor Co. this year released revamped versions of their popular gas- electric hybrids. Meanwhile, U.S. automaker General Motors Co. is preparing to launch its battery-powered Chevrolet Volt next year.
Mr. Ghosn said the Leaf will not be the first electric car—those already exist—but it will be the "first affordable electric car," Mr. Ghosn said. "Who's going to buy an electric car at $50,000 or $100,000?"
Nissan has not revealed what the price of the Leaf will be, but Mr. Ghosn said it will be up to 2% more expensive than a gas-powered Nissan of comparable size.
Nissan is entering the field with an all-electric car that is expected to have a range of 100 miles, and will not produce any carbon emissions. A key to the vehicle's success, Nissan officials said Friday, is establishing a network of charging stations. The car would be plugged into garages at night, when demand for electricity is down. It could also be plugged in at public charging stations.
Right now, infrastructure to support electric cars is scant—a major challenge for automakers like Nissan. A few progressive cities, like Santa Monica, do offer public plugging stations.
Nissan said Friday that it has signed memorandums of agreement with 33 local governments and energy companies worldwide to develop plugging stations. On Friday, Nissan announced it had signed its latest agreement with Houston-based Reliant Energy, a subsidiary of NRG Energy Inc., to develop charging infrastructure. Nissan has signed similar agreements with Phoenix, Vancouver and Mexico City.
Unlike other car companies, Nissan is developing its own battery to power the car. Mr. Ghosn said the company plans to lease the battery to buyers. That way, the company can retain control over the battery, allowing it to recycle the batteries or potentially upgrade them as the technology improves. Still, Mr. Ghosn said the cost of leasing and charging the battery will be lower than the cost of gas.
Write to Tamara Audi at tammy.audi@wsj.com