Like many other automakers, Nissan has been hard at work on developing its own hybrid and electric technology for a number of years now, and promises to bring the fruits of its labor to market by as early as 2010. Earlier today, the Japanese automaker unveiled its latest prototypes of an all-electric vehicle, and a hybrid electric based on the G35 sedan.
The electric vehicle pictured is the Japanese-market Nissan Cube, but that’s not how the final product will look, with Nissan promising to unveil it in a totally new shape not based on any existing product. What is known is that the vehicle’s 80kW (about 107 horsepower) motor will drive the front wheels and get its power from a new generation of lithium-ion batteries, developed by the Automotive Energy Supply Corporation, which is a Nissan and NEC collaboration. The car is to make its debut in 2010, likely only in Japan, and be sold in select markets worldwide by 2012.
The Hybrid Electric Vehicle prototype, clearly based on the Infiniti G35, retains its rear-wheel drive layout and takes on a sporty hybrid personality. The car represents the company’s first rear-wheel drive and parallel powertrain hybrid system. This duality is achieved thanks to a pair of clutches, one of which always connects a motor or engine to the drive wheels, via the transmission. Fuel economy is improved by the constant adjustment of these clutches under various conditions. An automatic transmission is retained, though Nissan says the clutches do away with the need for a power-sapping torque converter.
The system works on four distinct stages: idle-stop, which shuts off the gasoline engine; regular driving, which uses the gas engine to power the motor and charge the battery; acceleration, where both engine and battery power the motor to drive the car; and deceleration, where braking energy is used to charge the battery.
While Nissan has been offering the Altima hybrid sedan for a couple of years now in North America, it used the electric motor and interface from the Toyota Camry.
08/06, 1:34 PM
posted by:
t-ak-box
I think it would be cool if Nissan could sell both old and New Cubes now. I just dig the Cube.
08/06, 1:58 PM
posted by:
441Zuke
I like the idea of a rear wheel drive hybrid also i like the idea of a hybrid that doesn’t look completly gay
08/06, 3:11 PM
posted by:
ktulu
I shoipe ut won’t have “hrdbyid” written so gigavntical;y on the side
08/07, 9:25 AM
posted by:
Htay9500
ktulu: Can you spell?
08/07, 12:24 PM
posted by:
MyG35
I cant wait for the Hybrid G….Bring in the rear wheel drive performance to existing boring hybrids…lol
08/11, 2:38 AM
posted by:
DriveCritic
No surprises to see Nissan joining in on the hybrid vehicles segment. I’m expecting Mitsubishi and Mazda to follow suit in the near future.
—-
This post has been listed on http://www.DriveCritic.com/