2008 Nissan Ultima Hybrid

Nissan is in the hybrid business for its second model year. The 2008 Nissan Altima Hybrid has a list price of $25,965, which is an increase of $80 over last years model. Again this year it is approximately $6000 over the conventional sedan. This premium is somewhat offset by the Alternative Motor Vehicle tax credit of $2,350.

Nissan is still just getting its feet wet in the Hybrid market. The first hybrid version of the Altima was sold in January 2006 in eight states. The Nissan Altima uses the Hybrid Synergy Drive technology which is licensed from Toyota for its hybrid technology. The Altima Hybrid is only available in California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Jersey, New York, Vermont, and Rhode Island. It is limited to one model with four option packages.

Nissan states that is 2008 EPA rating is 35mpg city and 33mpg highway. That compares with the 19/26 mpg in the new Altima 3.5SE coupe. Nissan has sold just over 3900 Altima Hybrid vehicles through July of 2007 which was in line with company expectations.

The company has stated that they do not intend to expand this line further as they are in development of their own hybrid technology which they plan to use in a 2010 model vehicle to be sold in the U.S. and Japan.

Hybrid technology is one part of a broader plan to redefine the Nissan brand with new environmental, safety, and performance technologies in upcoming years. One initiative is the Nissan Green Program 2010, the automaker's larger blueprint to make its vehicles and plants more environmentally friendly through a number of measures such as direct-injection gasoline engines, including turbocharged four-cylinders by early 2010. You can also expect to see a clean diesel in the Maxima line that same year.