CARLOS Ghosn, chief executive of Nissan Renault SA and Nissan Motor Co, said on Wednesday that he foresees a big push by auto makers to bring pure-electric vehicles to market, predicting that 10 percent of all vehicles globally will be electric by 2020.

'The reality today is there are zero electric cars on the market,' Ghosn said. 'There is a trend toward electric cars, no doubt about it ... In many countries, people want to make themselves more independent from oil and, second, want to be able to have a more environmentally friendly product.'

Ghosn made the remarks at a round-table interview with reporters at the Los Angeles Auto Show on Wednesday. The show opens to the public today.

Ghosn said Nissan is planning to launch an electric car in the United States by 2010, making it the latest auto maker to set such a timeline.

General Motors said it will launch its Chevrolet Volt gas-electric vehicle the same year, and Chrysler LLC plans to begin selling an electric vehicle by then, as well.

Nissan, Japan's No. 3 auto maker, plans to mass-market electric vehicles globally by 2012, Ghosn said. He said there is little doubt auto makers see electric vehicles as the future of the auto industry.

'Ten percent of global sales of cars will be electric by 2020 is, in my opinion, a reasonable number,' Ghosn said.

Earlier Wednesday, Ghosn announced a partnership with the states of Oregon and Portland General Electric Co to promote and develop an electric-vehicle charging network. He called on local and national governments to assist the process of bringing electric and other alternative vehicles to market.

'Government has a role to play,' Ghosn said.

He also acknowledged Nissan-Renault had been in talks to acquire Chrysler, which is running very low on cash.