Nissan gets 13,000 orders for Leaf

Nissan chief executive says the automaker has received over 13,000 orders in the U.S. and Japan for its new electric car, the Leaf, exceeding production capacity.

Carlos Ghosn said today the company is seeking to boost capacity to meet the demand. Currently it can produce fewer than 12,000 of the cars by next March.

The first models of the zero-emissions Leaf will be delivered to customers in December.

Ghosn, who also heads France’s Renault, said that while 2010 will likely be a volatile year, he’s confident about Nissan’s future as demand grows in emerging markets like China, where sales have risen 60 percent so far this year, and as consumers warm to electric cars. He also expects the yen to weaken, which would boost profit from abroad.

“For Nissan, the potential for profit in the midterm is big," Ghosn told reporters at corporate headquarters a day after the company reported upbeat earnings and forecasts.

“From everything we’re seeing … interest in zero-emission cars is very high, and we don’t think it’s going to require too much efforts in marketing," he said. Detroit News