The current Nissan Altima Hybrid is counting days (well, more like months) in the U.S. as the Japanese automaker plans to drop the gasoline-electric hybrid model from its lineup at the end of the 2011 model year, according to a report from Autonews. The hybrid sedan hasn’t been much of a success for Nissan as only 35,000 units have been sold in the States since its introduction in the market in 2007.
Aside from the somewhat disappointing sales, Nissan’s decision may also have to do with the fact that the Altima Hybrid utilizes a hybrid system sourced from rival Toyota. Nissan has since developed its own hybrid system with a new lithium-ion battery that made its debut on the 2012 Infiniti M Hybrid.
“We’ve launched our Nissan design hybrid in the M,” said Mark Perry, director of product planning at Nissan North America. Perry added that Nissan’s in-house hybrid will find its way into other vehicles of the brand. “We’re going to cascade it through where it makes sense.”
This means Nissan may be readying a new version of the Altima Hybrid equipped with its own gasoline-electric powertrain system.
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