Autoblog

Click above for high-res gallery of Nissan's new green cars

Nissan has been selling a hybrid version of its Altima sedan in select U.S. states for the last two years that uses a licensed version of Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive. At the same time it's been working on its own hybrid and all-electric powertrains, and yesterday it unveiled two prototypes that show us exactly what it will be replacing those Prius parts with.

The first is a new hybrid system that will debut on a rear-wheel-drive Infiniti model, most likely the G. It employs a parallel hybrid system with one electric motor and two clutches that allows the gas engine and electric motor to power the vehicle at the same time. Nothing fancy there, but Nissan's new hybrid will be one of the first to use lithium-ion rather than nickel-metal hydride batteries. The smaller, more efficient batteries were developed by a joint-venture company between Nissan and NEC called Automotive Energy Supply Corporation (AESC).

Meanwhile, those same li-ion batteries are also being tested in an all-electric vehicle. Though currently installed in a JDM Nissan Cube, the system will eventually be put in all-new model with unique styling and be on the Japanese market by 2010 and sold globally by 2012. It uses a new 80kW motor and inverter and packs all the batteries beneath its floor.

Very cool stuff, Nissan. Just leave the vinyl graphics at home next time.


[Source: Nissan]

Hot on the tail of the Honda CR-Z Hybrid, Nissan is preparing their own hybrid coupe to go head-to-head with its rival. The front-wheel-drive, hybrid sports car will be built on a modified "B" platform and will offer an aggressive coupe appearance with a wide stance -- a look popular in Europe, its primary market. To keep weight at a minimum, Nissan will likely utilize aluminum body panels. For improved aerodynamics, the new coupe may be fitted with flat bottom panels (a trick used on the Nissan GT-R). With engine details sketchy, most anticipate the powerplant to be a four-cylinder 1.5-liter HR15DE, coupled to an electric motor and power would be sent to the front wheels through a six-speed DSG transmission. We don't expect to see the new Nissan, or the Honda for that matter, in showrooms before early 2010.

[Source: 7tune]

We've been obsessively following the developments surrounding Nissan's rumored re-entry into the compact, RWD market, and up until now, it's been assumed that a small-displacement engine would be mounted up front, possibly fitted with a turbocharger. But according to a report by Drive.com.au, Nissan is actively considering a hybrid drivetrain to power its Silvia replacement.

The Aussie automotive news outlet spoke with Junichi Endo, Nissan's senior vice president of global marketing, who said that the automaker is trying to strike a balance between "fuel economy and driving pleasure," and that a hybrid-powered sports car has a "50-50" shot at production. However, the fate of such a vehicle hinges on the hybrid sports coupe's marketability.

While the idea certainly isn't original – Toyota is considering a gasoline-electric hybrid sports car inspired by the FT-HS concept and Honda has confirmed that the hybrid CR-Z is on its way – the move by Nissan would be a significant departure for an automaker that's kept hybrids and hybrid development at arms length, save the Altima hybrid. Additionally, Nissan maintains that if such a vehicle gains the affection of consumers, an all-electric sports car is the next logical step.

[Source: Drive.com.au]

One of the knocks against hybrids is that they're best around town, but once you get on the highway, it's back to full-time fossil fuels. Nissan is developing its own hybrid tech that it plans to launch in the Infiniti FX, in which the electric component will assist the engine at highway speeds as well, not just around town.

We don't know how close, if at all, it will be to the hybrid system in the Porsche Cayenne -- that (as-yet-untested) one can run the vehicle entirely on electric power at 75 MPH. Nissan's offering is slated to arrive some time in the next decade, presumably in the next generation FX. When it does, that will put at least four different types of major manufacturer hybrids on the roads, making their way through streets also littered with clean diesels. When we get that kind of concentration, the shakeout will really begin to decide who'll win the altpower war.

[Source: Channel 4]

Hear ye, hear ye, hear ye. Listen now to the tale of Yesterday on AutoblogGreen, in which we test out the 2007 Nissan Altima Hybrid (full review here) and herald the forthcoming epic battle battle in Washington, D.C. now that the King U.S. Supreme Court has granted the EPA power to regulate CO2 emissions. Henceforth, we shall also all be privy to the knowledge of the court jesters at Popular Mechanics and their test drive of the L1X-75 roadster.

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