| The Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. announced its plan to | | | | likely to use the expertise of Renault which is its |
| build the first diesel-powered vehicle in North | | | | alliance partner. |
| America in the next few years. The decision is | | | | In 2005, sixty three percent of the Japanese |
| anchored on the growing competition and the | | | | automaker's product lines in Western Europe |
| move of automakers towards fuel efficiency. | | | | were equipped with diesel engines. With the shift |
| Carlos Ghosn, the chief executive of the Nissan | | | | to greener and cleaner engines, other automakers |
| of Japan and the Renault of France, intimated the | | | | are now planning more diesels in their lineup. |
| details about the company's diesel strategy in a | | | | DaimlerChrysler, Honda, and Volkswagen are just |
| speech to the Council on Foreign Relations in | | | | some of the automakers working with that goal |
| Washington. Ghosn is amenable that the auto | | | | in mind. |
| industry may have been shortsighted in fighting | | | | As the auto industry continues to produce |
| increased fuel-economy standards. | | | | more-efficient vehicles, Ghosn urged lawmakers |
| Like other automotive executives, Ghosn is | | | | and regulators to make rules that simply do not |
| striving to satisfy the increasing consumer | | | | favor one technology over another. "At the end |
| appetite for fuel-efficient cars. Additionally, the fuel | | | | of the day, it's about carbon dioxide emissions," |
| efficiency demands in Washington have to be | | | | Ghosn said. "Let's talk about performance, let's |
| solved immediately before global warming and | | | | not talk about technology. The competition will be |
| oil-dependence issues cripple the industry. | | | | on technology." |
| In a meeting with editors and reporters in the | | | | Ghosn became famous largely for rescuing Nissan, |
| industry, Ghosn said that the auto industry | | | | which was near bankruptcy in 1999. His plan was |
| brought some problems on itself by fighting | | | | built largely on catering to Americans' desire for |
| fuel-economy regulations over the years. "The car | | | | speed and horsepower during the craze for |
| industry... because it has been a little bit | | | | trucks and sport-utility vehicles in the 1990s. |
| shortsighted, saying all the time" that a change in | | | | Ghosn has ridiculed hybrids in the past, saying that |
| fuel-efficiency standards "is not possible, this is too | | | | their high prices did not make good business |
| expensive, this is not going to happen, put itself in | | | | sense. Ghosn said that he was not convinced that |
| a situation where everybody is focusing on the | | | | hybrids were the answer to U.S. fuel-efficiency |
| car industry," Ghosn said. "The carbon dioxide | | | | needs. But now, he is singing a new tune. "There |
| emitted by a car looks more damaging than the | | | | are a lot of technologies on the table and we are |
| carbon dioxide emitted by everybody else." | | | | working on a lot of them," he said. |
| Ghosn said any push for tougher fuel-economy | | | | This year, Nissan is introducing its first hybrid |
| rules - known as the corporate average fuel | | | | which is a version of the Altima sedan. It will not |
| economy, or CAFE - should be accompanied by | | | | fascinate enthusiasts just because of Nissan tail |
| tougher limits on other carbon-dioxide-emitting | | | | light, but would catch attention because of its |
| industries. "If you take up CAFE for the car | | | | green technology mated to superb performance |
| industry, just make sure that the other industries | | | | and appearance. The hybrid technology is licensed |
| also have something similar," Ghosn said. For the | | | | from the Toyota Motor Corporation. |
| new diesel-powered vehicle, the automaker is | | | | |