Nissan CEO comes out swinging

CEO of Nissan Australia, Richard Emery, has lashed out at the federal government in a statement issued today.

In the statement, Emery admits to being concerned by comments attributed to industry minister Ian Macfarlane in connection with hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. The minister has "shown a lack of understanding and appears to have not consulted with the wider automotive industry and his own government colleagues," according to Emery.

With the minister promoting hydrogen fuel cell vehicles on behalf of Hyundai, it was left to the Nissan boss – and last weekend his senior PR executive, Peter Fadeyev – to declare their disapproval on behalf of Nissan and, to a lesser extent any other company in the throes of introducing electric vehicle technology to Australia.

But Emery didn't stop there. He also offered his sentiments concerning plans announced today by Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development, Jamie Briggs, to ease parallel import restrictions. Briggs wasn't mentioned by name, but the implication was clear: neither Cabinet minister seems to be working proactively with the other where their portfolios overlap.

It was a stinging blow for a government reported to be concerned by its lack of rapport with industry.

Emery is clearly upset that Nissan's LEAF EV has been so readily dismissed by the minister, despite promising sales in overseas markets and a battery failure rate of just three out of the 35,000 cars sold in Europe over the last five years. All around the world, the LEAF has sold 165,000 units, but has not achieved anything approaching the same level of popularity and market share in Australia. Nissan naturally point to the lack of government support here for that sales shortfall.

Emery's statement is reproduced in full, as follows: