Nissan threatens Toyota's dominance of hybrids

(Infiniti)

Nissan has said that it expects its new Infiniti M35 hybrid to be up to 90 percent more fuel efficient than its gas counterpart when it is launched later this year.

The company unveiled more details on the hybrid, which has taken six years to develop, last Tuesday in Tokyo, promising that the hybrid technology in-house would compare favorably to the hybrid technology hitherto pioneered by Toyota.

The vehicle will be Nissan's first foray into the hybrid engine market, despite leading Toyota on EVs thanks to the development of its electric car, the Nissan LEAF.

Nissan's current hybrid model, the Altima, uses technology built by Toyota.

The Infiniti M35 Hybrid will be driven by a 3.5 liter V6 engine and an electric motor, which should be 30 kilograms lighter than Toyota's system, according to a Nissan chief engineer.

It will deliver a fuel economy of up to 19 kilometers per liter, compared to Toyota's Crown Luxury sedan, which offers between 14 and 16 kilometers per liter, and the Lexus GS450h, which goes to 14 kilometers per liter.

The hybrid technology will be complemented by a start-stop feature and new electronic controls to optimize engine idling.

It is slated to be released in Japan later this year and will hit US markets in 2011.

http://www.nissan.com