Nissan unveils hybrid, Promises EV by 2010 Full story. I also found this thread on PC that details the EV prototype.
I think your title is misleading; the Altima hybrid already uses the Toyota HSD under license. Nissan is now unveiling their own system which is different than the HSD design. The first paragraph of the article is phrased awkwardly, but if you read the complete article, it becomes clear.
The Test EV car is actually a Nissan Cube. It has been around in Japan for sometime now. I heard a rumor a while a go that they were bringing the car here to the States. It would be nice if it did make its arrival in EV form.
I welcome any new hybrid into the market. I wish them luck competing with Toyota. The G35/37 is a poor car to turn into a hybrid. It's heavy and handles like a truck, not a "sport sedan"! The cube is probably just being used because they had a restricted budget. It wouldn't be a very good choice for an EV due to very poor aerodynamics. Perhaps it's just for a city delivery truck. If you've ever been to a Japanese city you'll understand how perfect such a vehicle would be there.
Nissan's new hybrid technology is not Toyota's HSD. From the description it sounds similar to GM's dual-mode hybrids. It is the Altima that used HSD. Nissan will not be making a EV version of the Cube. The article states that the Cube is only a prototype and Nissan will build their EV on a unique platform not a current platform. I hope that Nissan will bring their EV to the US in 2010. The Japanese manufacturers seems to like to keep new technology in Japan for a couple of years before releasing it to the world.
G35/37.. I agree that this vehicle is heavy and inefficient, ..but we also want the general public to think that hybrids are "cool." Let's not forget that this is only one model out of Nissan's entire portfolio of vehicles. Box (Scion design; Ford Flex) ... the majority of the Prius's fuel savings are not from aerodynamic efficiency. the majority of the Prius's fuel savings are from motor-assisted accelerating (which occurs at low speeds when aerodynamics is less of a factor). Sure, aerodynamics is VERY important, BUT accelerating (under 30mph) is MUCH more important to fuel economy. I would estimate that aerodynamics can reduce F.E. by 20%, yet when we compare the Prius CITY gas mileage to the Matrix CITY gas mileage, we observe EPA 48/26 = an 85% increase! (my estimate for the 20%: I used to own a Chevy Silverado that was "flat" on the front grille and windshield, and when I took my foot off of the gas and concurrently shifted to neutral, I could clearly feel the drag. In my Corolla, I barely notice the aerodynamic drag) :ballchain::car: .
