• Nissan to invest 2.6 billion reais (US$1.5 billion, or €1.1 billion) to build new plant in Resende and develop new products for Brazil
• Renault to invest 500 million reais (US$285 million or €212 million) to expand plant in Curitiba   
• Companies to increase combined annual capacity to 580,000 vehicles and launch 23 new models in Brazil in the next five years

The Century's Leadership Challenge, the 9AM session held in Congress Hall, grappled with the concept of shared norms, the differences in 21st century thinking, gender and generational diversity, and so on. Certainly qualified for the task was the panel of distinguished guests, of which Mr. Ghosn was the lone business leader, including Sharan Burrow (General Secretary, International Trade Union Confederation), Salam Fayyad (Prime Minister of the Palestinian National Authority), Herman Van Rompuy (President, European Council of the European Union), Prime Minister of Thailand Abhisit Vejjajiva and was moderated by Al Jazeera anchor Riz Khan.

In between meetings at the Hub, Mr. Ghosn spoke with PepsiCo Chairman and CEO Indra Nooyi about the Nissan LEAF and Renault Fluence Z.E. As they stood staring at the Leaf charging outside, she asked what battery it uses. Mr. Ghosn's response: "Ours." He described the cooperation that Nissan has in battery development with NEC, the joint venture called AESC. She said she'll be back for a test drive tomorrow.

As the World Economic Forum began its second day in Davos, CEO Carlos Ghosn kicked it off with seven interviews with broadcast media with audiences spanning the world. He started with CNBC's Maria Bartiromo live on Squwak Box followed by a taping for her program later in the day. The backdrop of the Swiss Alps was as breathtaking as the minus 12 degree weather in which Ghosn and Bartiromo sat, a white cloud of dialogue between them as Ghosn described what we can expect for the car industry in 2011.

On Tuesday, Carlos Ghosn spoke at the Detroit Economic Club. In a moderated Q&A with Dan Howes from The Detroit News, Ghosn covered three broad themes: the consolidation trends driving the industry, the shift towards sustainable (zero emission) mobility and the opportunities presented by emerging markets.

On consolidation, Ghosn spoke about the major forces that are creating the next wave of tie-ups among the automakers. First, if manufacturers are to develop the vast and complex range of technologies that are required to be legally compliant (emission regulations etc) and be appealing to consumers, footing that investment bill across the largest scale will inevitably drive competitiveness.