Carlos Ghosn:Renault to set plant in Huadu

Editor's Note: Carlos Ghosn, the Chairman and CEO of Renault-Nissan Alliance, received an interview from Sohu.com and some other media in the Guangzhou Huadu plant on November 11th.

At the meeting site Mr. Ghosn expressed three perspectives. First of all, Chinese market will maintain such a rapid growth in a very long time. Second, Nissan will rapidly promote the electric vehicle plan and in the initial stage Nissan will cooperate with the government and promote the electric vehicles step by step. By 2012 Nissan will start the full-scale promotion. Third, Renault will choose a proper time to establish plant in Huadu, Guangdong Province and Mr.Ghosn revealed that Guangdong Provincial Government had reserved land for Renault's factory.

　　Excellent Quotations of the Interview:

Today I met with the party secretary of Huadu and I thanked them for offering land to help us establish new plant-the land for Nissan's plant. I told the secretary that the land was initially reserved for Renault. He said that Huadu would set aside another piece of land for Renault, which was not too far from there. So I would like to tell everyone that Renault will come to China someday in the future and Renault will choose Huadu since here is the seat of our entire family. Nissan is here and the supplies are also located in Huadu. We have a good relationship with government and whether it is the provincial, municipal, or district government our relation is very sound. Renault will come to China once it gets prepared and then Renault will build its brand.

We are prepared to promote electric vehicles rapidly across the globe. By 2010 the sales will reach a certain amount and our global promotion will start in 2012.

We all know that in the U.S. when consumers buy a zero-emission car, the government will provide 7500-dollar subsidy. France also issued incentive measures to provide 5000 euros. In Japan, 700 thousand yen will be offered according to the incentive measures. I want to point out one thing clearly that we definitely hope the electric vehicle should be used widely in the future, but a large-scale promotion certainly needs help from government.

Historical experience shows that once a large auto market emerges there will be a new global automaker. (SAIC, Geely and other automotive enterprises) may have the opportunity to have a good business in the world. Maybe in the medium term Chinese companies can grasp such an opportunity. Now I can see that Chinese auto industry is conducting global transactions and I do not feel surprised. (Translator: Qinghua/Hanxin)

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