As soon as Honda blazed the path for gasoline-electric hybrid autos right here with the 2000 Perception, and the Toyota Prius proved to us that hybrids labored advantageous as real-world vehicles a yr later, the race was on amongst different producers to get into the hybrid sport. GM managed to place collectively a “mild hybrid” Silverado for 2004, and Ford started promoting the Escape Hybrid as a 2005 mannequin. Nissan managed to keep away from being too late to the hybrid social gathering by introducing the Altima Hybrid for the 2007 mannequin yr; gross sales have been poor, however I’ve managed to search out considered one of these vehicles in a San Francisco Bay Space self-service wrecking yard not too long ago.
Nissan was busy growing what would turn out to be by far the world’s biggest-selling pure electrical automobile of the 2010s throughout the center 2000s, and so the crew from Yokohoma saved time by licensing Toyota’s hybrid expertise to be used on this automobile.
The Toyota system labored advantageous, and it allowed the 2008 Altima Hybrid to ship 35 metropolis and 33 freeway miles per gallon. That was higher than the 23 metropolis/31 freeway mileage of the odd ’08 Altima sedan with automated, however not sufficient higher to tempt many consumers.
The MSRP on this automobile was $25,480, or about $37,062 in 2023 {dollars}. In the meantime, the most cost effective pure-gasoline ’08 Altima sedan could possibly be had for simply $18,620 ($27,084 after inflation). Due to the superb metropolis gas financial system, the New York Metropolis Police Division purchased some Altima Hybrids to be used as patrol vehicles.
The Altima Hybrid was obtainable simply in Canada, California, New York and the opposite eight states that had adopted California’s strict energy-efficiency laws for motor autos. Gross sales have been so gradual that it received the axe after the 2011 mannequin yr.
It seems that the physique and inside have been in superb situation when this automobile arrived in its closing parking area, so we are able to assume that some expensive mechanical failure doomed this automobile.
The sprint has a sticker from Burning Man 2022, so it was a identified runner a bit greater than a yr in the past.
Possibly at present’s Junkyard Gem was purchased new at Hayward Nissan, situated only a few miles from its closing parking spot.