Nissan working on in-house hybrid drivetrain, possibly to resurrect the Altima Hybrid

Nissan is working on an in-house hybrid system for a midsize sedan that will be available in 2013. It will be similar to the one in the rear-wheel-drive Infiniti M35 hybrid, which was recently inducted into the Guinness Book of World Records as the fastest hybrid in the world, but in a front-wheel-drive configuration. The engine will be a 2.5L 4cyl that will be supercharged, with the aim to reduce the boost lag typically associated with turbochargers, and the transmission will consist of twin clutches and a single electric motor.

Nissan will discontinue the Altima Hybrid (pictured) after 2011, which was developed using technology from rival Toyota. With the exception of the LEAF, the Altima Hybrid was the only green car in Nissan's lineup. Masayuki Yasuoka, Nissan's senior powertrain group manager, has not confirmed that the new hybrid drivetrain will go in the next-generation Altima, which is due in 2013, but that is the most likely scenario, as Nissan needs a competitor in the midsize-hybrid sedan field with the Toyota Camry Hybrid, Hyundai Sonata Hybrid, and Ford Fusion Hybrid.

Nissan presented the new drivetrain yesterday at a demonstration and test-drive event at its proving grounds in Oppama, south of Tokyo. They also showcased their new-and-improved continuously-variable transmission (CVT) that will appear in the regular gasoline Altima, Maxima, and Rogue, among other vehicles. Nissan says the new CVT is a pulley-style that will improve fuel efficiency by 10 percent. That CVT design will also be used in the new hybrid system.

Source: Automotive News