Japan's No. 3 automaker, Nissan Motor Co. said it expected to build more than 100,000 affordable zero-emission electric vehicles a year when it starts U.S. production at its plant in Smyrna, Tennessee from 2012.

As per Nissan's estimates United States and Japan will see zero-emission cars in 2010, followed by a global roll-out in 2012.

Speaking on the topic, Carlos Ghosn, Nissan's CEO, said, "We are moving forward with zero-emission vehicles."

Nissan is licking its lips on the prospects of its dominance in the zero-emission vehicles' market as no other mass-market maker has entered in big volumes.

Nissan's rivals Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co. have been focusing on their fuel-saving technologies, while General Motors has plans to launch its plug-in Chevy Volt in 2010.

Earlier in December, Nissan applied for U.S. government financing to aid it make electric vehicles and develop the advanced batteries that power them.

Chief executive of Nissan, Carlos Ghosn said that the zero-emission cars should be affordable to consumers, although that would depend largely on generous incentives from governments.

Carlos Ghosn further said different governments are showing their interest in the new technology little by little.

According to Nissan, it has signed 27 initial agreements with governments and agencies to help it roll out electric cars.

However, the company is making slow move towards the new cars due to the recent global economic crisis. It hopes to sell 3.08 million vehicles in the current fiscal year to March 2010, down 9.7 percent year-on-year.

In the recent trading, Nissan shares closed at 571 yen, down 4.7 percent.