Renault's Ghosn says electric car draws Gulf interest

CASCAIS: The head of French automaker Renault, Carlos Ghosn, said Thursday that a country in the Gulf region is interested in his company's environmentally friendly electronic car project.

"We are negotiating to launch an electric car with a Gulf state," Ghosn told a news conference here near Lisbon.

Renault, which controls Japan's Nissan Motor, plans to put an electric powered car on the road by 2010 and Ghosn said the prospects for success were now much better given environmental concerns and the soaring price of oil.

"The electric car of the past was huge with a big battery ... Today (they have) very attractive designs. (They are) sexy cars with attractive designs with no emissions," he said.

"An electric car has to be at normal cost or lower ... (the) battery and electric charge has to be cheaper than gasoline (petrol). At 120 dollars per barrel, it will be very easy," he added.

Renault already has an agreement on developing electric cars in Israel and is in talks with several other countries such as Denmark.