agent Entrepreneur logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

Nissan CEO Says He Needs More North America Capacity

Nissan Motor Co Chief Executive Carlos Ghosn said on Thursday the automaker needs more capacity in North America to fuel its growth, reported Reuters. Demand for Nissan Rogue sport utility vehicles can be supplied in the short term from plants in Korea and Japan, but longer term “we obviously need more capacity in North America,” ... Read More »

April 6, 2015
2 min to read


Nissan Motor Co Chief Executive Carlos Ghosn said on Thursday the automaker needs more capacity in North America to fuel its growth, reported Reuters.

Demand for Nissan Rogue sport utility vehicles can be supplied in the short term from plants in Korea and Japan, but longer term “we obviously need more capacity in North America,” Ghosn told reporters at the New York auto show.

Ad Loading...

Nissan is driving to boost its market share in the United States to a “sustainable 10 percent” by 2017, he said. Nissan, including its Infiniti luxury brand, had a 9.3 percent share of the U.S. market as of the end of March and Ghosn said it aims to keep growing from there.

He did not lay out a timetable for further expansion of North American production, or say whether Nissan would build new plants or increase production within the factories it has.

Ghosn’s signal of further investment in North America comes at a time when several rival automakers have also spoken of plans to add factories or assembly capacity in Mexico, the United States or Canada.

Volvo Cars, the Swedish luxury brand owned by China’s Zhejiang Geely Holdings, said earlier this week it planned to invest $500 million in a U.S. factory and Korea’s Hyundai Motor Co is considering an expansion of North American production capacity. German automakers Volkswagen AG, Daimler AG and BMW AG have also expanded their U.S. or Mexican production in recent years.

The United States and China are the two largest and most profitable auto markets in the world. As automakers have encountered obstacles in emerging markets such as Russia, India and Southeast Asia, they are turning again toward the United States for growth.

Ad Loading...

On a separate matter, Ghosn said reworking the capital structure of the Renault-Nissan alliance will “take a back seat” to hitting the targets for operating performance he has laid out for the companies. Nissan, for example, is aiming for 8 percent operating profit margins and 8 percent global market share by the end of its 2016 fiscal year in early 2017.

Some shareholders have pressed for Renault to free up capital now held in its 43.4 percent holding in Nissan. The French and Japanese automakers forged their alliance in 1999, when Nissan was near collapse. Now, Nissan’s market capitalization of about $46 billion is larger than Renault’s, which stands at about $27 billion.

More Industry

Blue and white RV parked on beach facing the ocean.
Industryby Lauren LawrenceSeptember 3, 2026

RV Group Expands Carolina Footprint

Blue Compass RV Columbia Northeast is the 13th RV dealership owned by Blue Compass in the Carolinas.

Read More →
Photo of two men and one woman on a discussion panel
Industryby Hannah MitchellSeptember 1, 2026

Agent Acumen

An Agent Summit panel of people who’ve been supporting auto dealers for years gave both timely and timeless advice for those starting out or mulling the prospect.

Read More →
Gloved hand holding two wrenches next to “Turn Overdue into Opportunity” Graphic
Industryby Lauren LawrenceAugust 27, 2026

Missed Maintenance Creates Opportunity

As families get back on the road and into daily school routines, service drives have an opportunity to capture customers who are behind on recommended vehicle maintenance.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Mitsubishi shadow line-up
Industryby Hannah MitchellAugust 25, 2026

Mitsubishi Unveils U.S. Plan

The automaker announced a strategy that includes an expanded lineup and dealership presence, along with more ‘rugged’ and electric models.

Read More →
Photo of a laptop, cellphone and eyeglasses on a desk next to an office window
IndustryAugust 24, 2026

Selling to Grow

The question of whether you should sell your agency and if so, when, is up to you. But it’s a question worth asking to ensure you keep the business on the right path for yourself, employees and clients.

Read More →
Mechanic holding a vehicle diagnostic device while standing above an open car hood
Industryby Hannah MitchellAugust 24, 2026

Recalled Vehicles Hit 5-Year High

Though the number of events has fallen so far this year, impacted units are up significantly. Meanwhile, regulators consider consumer notification changes.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
outside of car dealership with cars parked in front
Industryby Lauren LawrenceAugust 20, 2026

Auto Group Acquires Top-Performing Rooftop

Car Pros sold its Kia Huntington Beach location to Sutherlin Automotive Group, marking the buyer’s third location in Southern California.

Read More →
Cars from the rear on a Shanghai freeway
Industryby Hannah MitchellAugust 19, 2026

China as Pacesetter

Automotive leaders huddled on where North America stands in the global picture and how it can strengthen its position against the Asian juggernaut’s surging industry.

Read More →
Orange BMW car on empty road.
Industryby Hannah MitchellAugust 14, 2026

BMW Concept Car Makes Fuel to Burn

The prototype developed in concert with a South Carolina university engineering team generates more solar energy than it uses in a typical daily commute.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Six men standing for photo outside of car dealership
Industryby Lauren LawrenceAugust 13, 2026

South Carolina Auto Group Downsizes

Florida-based group Holler-Classic has acquired four rooftops, its first in South Carolina, from Dick Smith Automotive Group.

Read More →
Ad Loading...