Nissan’s first hybrid vehicle, the Altima Hybrid, was originally released in February 2007 and was withdrawn after the 2011 model year. It was only accessible in Canada and the ten U.S. states that adhered to California’s stringent energy regulations (California, Oregon, Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont). Its hybrid drive system was based on Toyota hybrid technology, which the company claimed would not be used in any of its upcoming hybrid cars. Nissan’s Smyrna facility was designed to produce up to 40,000 vehicles annually. Up until its demise, the New York City Police Department employed the Nissan Altima Hybrid both a police cruiser and a regular cab.
The hybrid vehicle had a 2.5 L QR25DE engine with a CVT that generated 158 horsepower (118 kW) and 162 lb-ft (220 Nm) of torque. An extra 40 horsepower were produced by the electric motor/generator, bringing the total output to 198 hp (148 kW) and 199 lbft (270 Nm). Based on updated EPA fuel economy figures, its fuel efficiency was 6.7 L/100 km (42 mpg-imp; 35 mpg-US) in the city and 7.1 L/100 km (40 mpg-imp; 33 mpg-US) on the highway. Nissan canceled the Altima Hybrid after the 2011 model year because of weak sales.
Features on the hybrid 2.5 S trim were the same as those on the gasoline-only 2.5 S trim, and additional packages, such as one that added leather-trimmed seating surfaces, were also offered. The 2.5 S’s optional aluminum-alloy wheels were also included with the Hybrid.
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Nissan discontinues the Altima Hybrid in 2012
Nissan has unveiled their press materials for the 2012 model year, and the Nissan Altima Hybrid is an intriguing departure from this year’s selection.
Although many manufacturers are working to expand their selection of hybrid vehicles, Nissan’s decision to end production of one appears odd. However, since the Altima Hybrid was released in 2007, sales have been dismal, largely as a result of the trimline’s extremely constrained availability. Nissan only sold the Altima Hybrid in states with emission regulations similar to those in California, including New York, New Jersey, Maryland, and various locations in New England. If you are reading this and thinking, “I didn’t know that they sold an Altima Hybrid,” the chances are good that you live in a state with less stringent emission regulations.
The Nissan Altima hasn’t changed much since it was first introduced; this mid-sized hybrid sedan uses Toyota’s Synergy Drive technology to achieve an estimated 33 mpg. Although the Altima was significantly less expensive than rival models like the Ford Fusion, the Fusion’s combined fuel economy of 39 mpg dwarfs the Altima’s 33 mpg, and when combined with the Nissan hybrid’s limited availability, the Fusion Hybrid thrives while the Altima Hybrid will be discontinued after the 2011 model year.
The good news is that there are plenty of Nissan Altima Hybrids available on lots in the locations where they are offered, and Nissan intends to keep selling these vehicles until the existing stock is depleted. There may yet be time for you to travel to the East Coast or California and get one of the final Altima Hybrids given how slowly the model has been selling.
RIP Nissan Altima Hybrid, Another Hybrid To Die.
The number of hybrid vehicles that have been consigned to the huge gasoline-electric graveyard in the sky continues to grow.
Nissan’s Altima Hybrid vehicle will no longer be manufactured after the 2011 model year.
The Nissan Altima hybrid, which went on sale in late 2007, combined a four-cylinder engine from Nissan with a Toyota-licensed hybrid drive technology.
Over the course of four years, Nissan produced over 35,000 Altima Hybrids, making it the company’s first hybrid vehicle in production.
However, it was only offered for sale in seven American states, and nowhere else. Superior than the 2008 Prius, to which it was occasionally compared, the Nissan Altima Hybrid received favorable handling reviews and enabled Nissan to provide both fleets and retail customers with a vehicle that gets better gas mileage.
Among other places, Altima Hybrids might be spotted driving around New York City bearing the livery of the NYPD.
Nissan has recently created its own hybrid-electric system; the 2012 Infiniti M35h luxury sports car is the first to employ it in the United States. It is a 350-horsepower premium sports sedan with a combined fuel economy rating of 29 mpg (27 city, 32 highway). Its starting cost is $53,700.
The 2011 Nissan Leaf is an all-electric vehicle, but the business is putting a much bigger wager on battery electric vehicle technology.
The 2011 Nissan Altima Hybrid, on the other hand, has a combined rating of 33 mpg, which combines its city and highway ratings of 33 mpg. Its starting cost is $26,800.
The Honda Accord Hybrid, no less than three hybrid versions of the Saturn Vue crossover (including one that was never officially released), the Saturn Aura and Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid sedans, and the disastrous Dodge Durango and Chrysler Aspen Hybrid sport utility vehicles will all be joined by the now-extinct model.
Nissan Altima Hybrid Will be Put to Death in 2012
Nissan has announced that it will stop producing its Altima hybrid after 2011 and instead concentrate on “four- and six-cylinder variants for model year 2012, which make up the vast bulk of sales for the [Altima].” This indicates, in our opinion, that the limited-availability hybrid wasn’t moving in sufficient numbers to maintain it.
Nissan has announced that it will stop producing its Altima hybrid after 2011 and instead concentrate on “four- and six-cylinder variants for model year 2012, which make up the vast bulk of sales for the [Altima].” This tells us that there wasn’t enough demand for the limited-availability hybrid to keep it profitable.
Toyota granted a license for hybrid technology, which was used in the 2007 Altima. The gas-electric Altima has gotten less interest from consumers than mid-size hybrids like the Toyota Camry and Ford Fusion. This is due to a multitude of factors, not the least of which is the fact that it is only available in a few states.
The 2011 Altima should still be available on dealer lots if you do reside in one of the ten California-emissions states where the vehicle is sold. We anticipate you may be able to negotiate a significant discount off the $27,560 starting MSRP.
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Nissan Altima Hybrid, RIP. A car that couldn’t fail, it died due to carelessness and poor planning.
By the end of the year, most people won’t even be aware that the Nissan Altima Hybrid ever existed. With only 35,000 sales since 2007, the Toyota Priuse is being outlived by more than two million other vehicles.
The Altima Hybrid was an impossible-to-fail vehicle on paper. The outstanding Altima compact joins the Maxima as a major contributors to Nissan’s stellar reputation for excellence. Additionally, Nissan based its new hybrid on the Prius’ tried-and-true Toyota Synergy Drive system.
The firm would have had a hit on its hands if just 10 percent of the 25,525 Americans who purchased an Altima in May had chosen the hybrid variant. But it never materialized. Except for a significant increase brought on by the Cash for Clunkers trade-in rebates, sales remained dismal. And Nissan’s failure with what was actually a pretty nice automobile was its own fault.
Nissan will soon return with hybrid vehicles that utilize the in-house technology it is now showcasing in the 2012 Infiniti M Hybrid. Nissan’s range is set to include new gas-electric versions by 2013. The business will probably benefit from its several blunders it made with the Altima, which include:
- Questionable motivations: Unlike Toyota, which produced the Prius, Nissan built the Altima Hybrid because it needed high fuel economy to comply with California’s strict environmental regulations. In Nissan’s planning process, it was never a priority.
- Nissan used covert marketing strategies to limit sales of the Altima Hybrid to California and the other seven states that adhere to its pollution standards. As a result, the car was thrown onto a small market and failed to gain any type of momentum or notoriety on a national level. Nissan never promoted hybrid technology, and its quiet over this vehicle was deafening—especially when compared to the all-out marketing campaign it gave the Leaf battery-powered vehicle.
- Neglect: Since its introduction in 2000, the Prius has undergone three generations and received numerous running-related updates. Despite needing to be refreshed frequently during its four-year lifetime, the Altima mostly stagnated during that time.
- Poor pricing and mileage: The Altima Hybrid wasn’t a great value at $26,800. At $22,120, the Prius is affordable. More units would have been sold if it were less expensive than the Prius. And the Prius’ 51/48 mpg and even the Ford Fusion’s 41/36 mpg completely outperformed the Altima’s 33/33 mpg fuel economy. And there was nothing about it that would encourage you to buy it in the first place, despite its large load capacity or impressive road performance. U.S. News gave it a mixed review, concluding:
The 2011 Nissan Altima Hybrid is easily missed in a rising class due to its poor fuel efficiency ratings, restricted availability, and pricey optional packages.
- The Altima, like many other hybrids that tried to capitalize on the Prius’ excitement, met its demise due to a lack of green marketing. The Altima didn’t advertise the owner’s environmental credentials because it was based on an existing model and lacked unusual style to make it stand out. To even learn that it was a hybrid, you had to read the tiny print on the emblem.
Honda, Mercedes, BMW, and Chrysler are just a few companies that have battled to develop a cogent hybrid strategy, but Nissan stands out because it failed with a perfectly fantastic vehicle. This disappointing performance may have been prevented if the company had been attentive.
Nissan’s own hybrid technology might be used as an Altima Hybrid’s replacement.
According to Automotive News, Nissan Motor Co. will discontinue sales of the Altima Hybrid, the only hybrid vehicle now available under the Nissan brand, after the end of the 2011 model year. Since Nissan has just introduced its own in-house developed hybrid technology in the Infiniti M hybrid and that vehicle uses technology from rival Toyota under license, the Altima hybrid’s demise may pave the way for other Nissan hybrid models in the future.
The Altima Hybrid has only sold roughly 35,000 units overall since its 2007 launch, in part because it is only available in the seven states that have accepted California’s higher emission standards. Unlike Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive system, which uses NiMH batteries, Nissan’s hybrid system, which made its debut in the 2012 Infiniti M Hybrid, uses lithium-ion batteries. The creation of this new method might result in a Nissan car with greater volume sales than the Altima Hybrid.
While Nissan won’t reveal all of its future hybrid model plans, the automaker, led by CEO Carlos Ghosn, has made it plain that it wants to become a market leader in electric vehicles. Speaking on the recently released Nissan Leaf EV, Nissan product spokesperson John Schilling remarked, “We’re highly into electric vehicles right now.” However, we are advancing into alternative power technologies, such as hybrid, for the future.
Nissan North America’s Director of Product Planning, Mark Perry, remarked, “We’re going to cascade it through where it makes sense,” while discussing additional potential uses for the new hybrid technology in the Infiniti M Hybrid.
The case for more lithium-ion-based hybrids in the future is strengthened by Nissan’s $1.6 billion investment in the construction of a lithium-ion battery plant in Smyrna, Tennessee, which is also Nissan’s intended location for Leaf manufacturing by the end of 2012. The factory will be able to create 200,000 battery modules annually, or roughly 50,000 more batteries than it can use to make Leafs.
Even though the present Altima Hybrid will be discontinued, another hybrid vehicle will eventually fill the void it creates.