Dedicated hybrid models like the Toyota Prius and Honda Insight have proven to be extremely popular over the last several years – particularly in the United States – but Nissan says it has no intentions of entering the hybrid-only segment.
Nissan will expand its hybrid efforts in the coming years, but all hybrid models will be based on existing vehicles. Nissan’s first model will be based on the Infiniti M, set to launch in the United States in 2011 as a 2012 model.
Instead of trying to rival the likes of Toyota and Honda in hybrid technology, Nissan is planning to take a leadership role in the development of electric vehicle technology. “We are not intending to play a leadership role in hybrids,” Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn told Automotive News. “One company already assumed leadership in the technology. We want leadership on EVs.”
Nissan will launch its first electric vehicle – the Leaf – next year, set to be followed by at least two more EV models. An all-electric Nissan commercial van is slated for 2011 or 2012, with Nissan’s Infiniti luxury brand slated to receive a four-seat EV in the coming years.
