Weaker than expected growth in the United States has led Carlos Ghosn to issue an even more ambitious goal; double Nissan’s sales by 2017.

Nissan North America sold 1,141,656 vehicles in the United States last year, with just over 1 million of those vehicles coming from the Nissan brand. To achieve Ghosn’s goal, Nissan will have to post 18 percent gains every year for the next four years.

Automotive News reports that some of the blame has been placed on production issues, while Nissan is also looking to boost efficiencies at the retail level to help increase sales. Nissan wants to double the number of unit sales per outlet by the end of fiscal year 2017, from 959. By comparison, Toyota sells 1,491 units per franchise while Honda sells 1,220. Adding dealers in the West, Midwest and Northeast is also a possibility.

To say that Nissan’s plan is aggressive is an understatement. When Volkswagen issued their call for 800,000 units in the United States, it set a target date nearly a decade into the future, and matched it with a strong product push targeted squarely at the tastes and budgets of U.S. consumers. While there’s still another 5 years to go, Volkswagen is already at 438,133 units in the U.S. as of last year.

With Europe in the toilet and Japan and China looking shaky, America is one side of Ghosn’s magic coin (the other being low cost cars), since it’s a locale where auto sales are not in freefall. Ghosn’s pursuit of marketshare for Nissan is reflected in the newest round of products, like the Versa, Sentra, Pathfinder and Altima, which emphasize comfort, interior space and value. In this context, their decision to slash prices to make their cars more competitive in online comparisons makes sense. With such a short timeframe and such a far-fetched target, every little bit will help move Nissan across the board.

The United States and the European Union will begin talks on a free-trade agreement, which may take as long as two years to complete. The deal is expected to be worth some $613 billion annually, and could have some interesting implications for the auto sector.

The first and most obvious possibility is the end of import duties for passenger cars and light trucks; 2.5 percent for cars and 25 percent for trucks. Such a deal would amount to an end for the “chicken tax” for European made light trucks.

This may have an impact on the manufacturing profile for the world’s automakers as well. Mexico is currently in vogue due to low labor costs and the ability to export Mexican made cars to the United States and Europe. But with a US-EU free trade deal, there may be an extra incentive to bring some production to Europe, particularly if there’s unused capacity burning a hole in their pocket.

Also worth keeping an eye on is vehicle safety standard harmonization. The FMVSS standards vary from the UN/ECE standards used by pretty much everyone else, and this deal may bring about some kind of agreement on harmonization between the two. The FMVSS is frequently cited as a non-tariff barrier to trade by many observers. Not many would be sad to see it go.

Europe’s auto market implosion has led BMW to shift units earmarked for the continent over to the United States and China, where demand remains strong.

BMW Sales Chief Ian Robertson told Bloomberg that a recovery in Europe could take years, and that Europe’s crisis was having effects in other regions. “The slowdown in China is part of what’s happening in Europe,” Robertson said.

BMW’s global sales were up 14 percent in September, buoyed by the introduction of the new 3-Series. But the company must take measures to stop the bleeding in Europe, with Robertson remarking that a restructuring of its Spanish dealer network is under consideration.

“Local” may be a favored term for foodies, but it’s already the new buzzword for Japanese automakers looking to find a hedge against a strong yen.

Nissan is going to be at the forefront of the movement to bring a significant portion of vehicle production stateside. Says the Detroit Free Press:

By 2015, 85% of the Nissan and Infiniti models sold in the U.S. will be produced in North America, up from about 67%, said Carla Bailo, senior vice president of research and development for Nissan Americas.

The localized focus is extending beyond Nissan; the next-generation Honda Civic will be designed by the company’s North American arm, while Honda and Mazda are setting up factories in Mexico. The combined effect of the disaster in 2011 and the rising yen is leading to a revitalized auto industry in America. It’s just happening without the ordinary players in the usual locales.