Nissan to launch hybrid cars

Mumbai: Nissan Motor Co is planning to launch its own hybrid, bio-ethanol and other flexible fuel vehicles as part of a broad initiative called `Nissan Green Program 2010'', aimed at cutting carbon dioxide and exhaust emissions.

Japan''s second-biggest automaker said it would launch a hybrid vehicle using internally developed technology by April 2010, in the Japanese and US markets.

Nissan, which has no hybrid car on the market as yet, meanwhile, will launch the Altima sedan in the United States next year using technology licensed from Toyota.

Nissan chief executive Carlos Ghosn, who considers the current hybrid technology too expensive for consumers and of little or no profit for car makers, said Nissan''s own hybrid cars would try to balance production cost and value for consumer.

Nissan also plans to improve on the conventional internal-combustion engine and develop the world''s first car that can run 100km on three liters of gasoline. Nissan and its alliance partner Renault SA would jointly develop clean diesel engines that would meet strict emission standards to be introduced in the US and Japan.

The partners will also launch a new 2-litre diesel engine in the first half of 2007.