NEW YORK – Nissan Chairman and CEO Carlos Ghosn wasted no time on reiterating the company’s goal is to boost its U.S. market share to 10% on Tuesday when he spoke in New York.
Ghosn, who also is CEO of Renault, said new cars that Nissan is introducing over the next 15 months in high volume segments will play a key role as the company works to increase its market share from the 8.2% mark it hit for 2011.
In March, Nissan sold 136,317 cars and trucks, a 12.5% increase from the same month a year ago. While the industry is still tallying results for March, Ghosn said he expects Nissan’s market share will be about 9% for the month, putting the company within reach of its 10% goal.
On Wednesday, Nissan will unveil its redesigned Nissan Altima midsize sedan at the 2012 New York International Auto Show. That will be followed later this year by a redesigned Nissan Pathfinder SUV and a redesigned Nissan Sentra.
“If the all-new Sentra is your first Nissan, it will not be your last,” Ghosn promised when he spoke at industry conference.
The company’s long-term goal, Ghosn said, is to operate with 10% of industry sales in every major region where it sells cars and trucks.
Ghosn also said the Nissan Leaf, the company’s all electric car, remains a centerpiece of the company’s strategy despite slower than expected industry sales of electric vehicles.
So far, Nissan has sold 11,000 Leafs in the U.S. and 27,000 worldwide – enough for Ghosn to declare that the Leaf is the most successful all-electric in history.
Leaf buyers also represent a very attractive set of buyers. On average, they earn more than $125,000 per year and 48% have post-undergraduate degrees.
“I still believe they will be 10% of the market by 2020 in all the regions where electric vehicles are available,” Ghosn said. “I have zero doubt that zero emission is here to stay.”
What’s more, 91% of Nissan Leaf buyers previously owned a car made by a competitor.
Ghosn also believes that a majority of U.S. buyers would like to buy an electric car if they could. For that reason, Ghosn said Nissan will launch a new marketing campaign for the Leaf with actual buyers that represent “
This summer, Nissan will launch a new marketing campaign that represents the “practical majority.”
Ghosn knows that many question Nissan’s ability to gain market share and his electric vehicle outlook.
“Frankly, I am used to skeptics,” Ghosn said. “Thirteen years ago skeptics said the Renault-Nissan alliance would fail.”
This year, Ghosn said, Renault-Nissan should end the year with 6.8% of global sales. And despite an economic crisis in Europe and disadvantages caused by the strength of the Yen in Japan.
Ghosn said Renault-Nissan is dealing with the challenges posed by the economy in Europe and the Yen by increasing sales and production in other parts of the world.
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