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Report: Infiniti to take on Lexus with hybrids in the U.S.

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Old 10-29-07, 02:04 PM
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Gojirra99
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Default Report: Infiniti to take on Lexus with hybrids in the U.S.


Report: Infiniti to take on Lexus with hybrids in the U.S.

Posted on: October 29th, 2007

Nissan will take on Toyota’s Lexus by offering hybrid powertrains in its Infiniti lineup within the next few years. According to Carlos Tavares, Nissan’s executive vice president for global product planning, Nissan will debut luxury hybrids first in the United States.

Nissan’s hybrid powertrain is still in the developmental phase. Not to mention its only hybrid has been the Nissan Altima, where Toyota itself supplied Nissan with the powertrain.

Tavares did not say which Infiniti models would be getting the hybrid technology.

Nissan has been very vague with its alternative-fuel strategy. The company has been repeatedly reported dancing the line between offering hybrids, diesels or electric cars. Tavares said that Nissan is also looking to offer electric cars by 2010 starting with Japan.

If we were to guess, we think Nissan will first offer hybrid technology in its M45, FX, EX models.


Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)
via egmcartech
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Old 10-29-07, 02:16 PM
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Nissan is using Toyota's old hybrid technology for their current line-up.

I wonder what type of hybrids they've been developing independently for the future...
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Old 10-29-07, 02:21 PM
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Originally Posted by PhilipMSPT
Nissan is using Toyota's old hybrid technology for their current line-up.
And yet getting better gas mileage and more performance than the Camry hybrid

Originally Posted by PhilipMSPT
I wonder what type of hybrids they've been developing independently for the future...
Something tells me they're going to go in the direction of diesel hybrids. I hope I am right.
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Old 10-29-07, 02:23 PM
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I thought Carlos Ghosn pooh-poohed hybrids a few years back? I guess this is an about-face. Interesting, hopefully we will see more innovative engine technologies.
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Old 10-29-07, 02:31 PM
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Originally Posted by enigma888
I thought Carlos Ghosn pooh-poohed hybrids a few years back? I guess this is an about-face. Interesting, hopefully we will see more innovative engine technologies.
He did and is now eating his words.
As we have discusse before, Infiniti will use Renualt diesels in the future. I wonder if they will try a diesel/hybrid. That would be different.

We'll see, the development costs and enginering it takes for hybrids is insane. I welcome and competitors to this growing market.

Good choice Nissan.
 
Old 10-29-07, 02:46 PM
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I've always felt that hybrids were a bridge to a more complete and better solution to low emission, high efficiency engine power. I don't think anyone quite knows what the ultimate solution is just yet but they all, at least Toyota, Honda and Nissan, seem to be working on it.

I believe Ghosn's position has always been not to bet the whole farm on hybrids alone but to develop a number of different technologies in parallel. I know they've been working on fuel cell and clean diesel engines in addition to their own hybrid tech.
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Old 10-29-07, 03:31 PM
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Well, while Nissan still figure out and learning about the hybrid. I know one thing that Toyota is working on the variable combustion engine with a non-valve lifter type engine so they can control the combustion of the engine. For and easy to understand term, the engine that can run on either gasoline, ethanol or diesel(whatever you feel like), just fill it up and it will go, combine with the 5th-6th gen hybrid technology they got( in the future).
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Old 10-29-07, 04:14 PM
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Nissan using Infiniti brand to promote hybrid tech

Nissan will be mimicking Toyota and its premium Lexus division by focusing on the luxury end of its product line for hybrid drivetrains. Product planners will use the Infiniti brand to debut Nissan’s own advanced hybrid technology, which engineers are still developing. Nissan already sells a hybrid model in the form of the Altima Hybrid but the powertrain technology for that car was supplied by Toyota.

The news comes from Nissan’s executive vice president for global product planning Carlos Tavares, who also revealed to Automotive News that Nissan will be selling pure-electric cars by the end of the decade.

Nissan is reportedly in talks with several government bodies and large corporations both in Japan and the U.S. over a deal to develop new electric vehicles for urban use.

A third alternative is clean-diesel powertrains, which Nissan will also be backing in the form of a new diesel Maxima. The oil-burner will arrive on the market in 2009 but there are no plans to follow up with an additional diesel model.
http://www.motorauthority.com/cars/i...e-hybrid-tech/


Pure electric cars by the end of the decade??
That's a pretty big statement.
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Old 10-29-07, 05:04 PM
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It will be interesting to see what they can come up with. They bought the toyota technology to basically get into the hybrid game but now they are developing their own which is great. I'm completely confident that it will be something worth waiting for
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Old 10-29-07, 07:15 PM
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Originally Posted by Hypnotik
It will be interesting to see what they can come up with. They bought the toyota technology to basically get into the hybrid game but now they are developing their own which is great.
Which is probably why its only in one model (the Altima) and only available in six states.

Originally Posted by Hypnotik
I'm completely confident that it will be something worth waiting for
Agreed

I like the fact that they are considering several different variants as well including diesel and full electric vehicles. The next couple of years should be very interesting for Infiniti.
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