Nissan lowers price of electric Leaf

Ghosn said the lack of recharging infrastructure is hurting electric car sales, since potential buyers are worried about the cars running out of power while they're driving.

Nissan is lobbying for the development of public charging stations, but Ghosn called that "a long-term battle." He was clearly frustrated that some governments — like those in Japan and France — are promoting and funding electric vehicle infrastructure more than others.

"We have everything ready. The cars are ready. The technology is ready," he said.

Despite those frustrations, Ghosn said, Nissan won't abandon electric technology, and he still believes electric cars could make up 10 percent of Nissan's sales by 2020.

"Zero emissions are here to stay, and we think this is going to be an important part of the industry," he said.

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Auto Writer Tom Krisher contributed to this report from Detroit.