Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn believes that electric vehicles can help the broader auto industry as the numbers of cars produced globally continues to rise.

“They are not simply substitutes for conventional cars,” he told journalists in Portugal at a Renault Zoe electric car preview event. “They can also help to make the present system more stable.”

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Ghosn explained that electric vehicles can help to take some of the sting out of rising demand for vehicles globally and the impact that has on increasing oil demand.

“If we say that the global market continues to grow at 3-5% a year, that means we are talking about around 100m vehicles a year by 2020,” Ghosn pointed out. “If 10% of that total can be electric vehicles – though it will not be that high because electric vehicles will not be offered in big numbers everywhere – then that clearly makes a significant difference to the overall situation. There will still be high growth for conventional engine cars. But the electric vehicle actually helps to keep the present system more stable.”

Ghosn also told journalists that Renault has invested in electric cars, alongside Alliance partner Nissan, to meet the electric vehicle challenge.

“The Zoe is a real car and an affordable car,” Ghosn said.

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He also expressed optimism for electric vehicles based on two key trends impacting the sector.

“Firstly, people care more about ecological problems,” he said. “And we are addressing that with our electric vehicle products. Secondly, lots of governments want to put clean cars on the roads. They are now taking actions and making plans for the future which will favour electric vehicles.”