Ten years after Toyota broke the hybrid ground, Nissan's system will surface in an Infiniti Fuga in Japan itself. The Fuga is known as the M35 in other markets and is a fulsize luxury sedan normally powered by 2.5 or 3.7 V6 petrol engines.
The company claims its system, which involves one motor and two clutches, will be much more efficient than current hybrids, almost doubling fuel efficiency compared to the same car powered by a petrol engine.
The system provides ability to drive on electric power only when the battery is charged. It is also substantially lighter and more compact than the Toyota system. Nissan says it took six years to develop, time spent which has resulted in overcoming technological hurdles which other systems haven't.
More accurate electronic controls allow the engine to idle more frequently and therefore use less fuel. Nissan says millions of miles of testing had shown that the engine was stopped about half the time in city driving.
