While Nissan has been offering a version of the Altima in selected states for the last two years with a licensed version of the Toyota’s hybrid system, they have been diligently working on their own design back in Japan. The Nissan developed system is expected to debut in 2010 in an Infiniti model and the company is now showing a prototype publicly for the first time. The new system is a single motor configuration with two clutches that allow the vehicle to be powered by either the engine, the electric motor or both. When the system launches it will be the first from the Japanese automaker to be applied to a rear wheel drive platform and the first to use lithium ion batteries.

Also using lithium ion batteries will be Nissan’s electric vehicle launching in 2010. At the New York Auto this Nissan showed the Denki Cube, a battery powered version of the Japanese market Cube. A next generation prototype with new batteries and a new 80 kW motor and inverter is now running in preparation for the fleet launch of an all-new electric car. The production model will have distinct styling and won’t be based on any other existing Nissan vehicle. The Nissan-NEC joint-venture, AESC (Automotive Energy Supply Corporation) will be supplying batteries for both vehicles. The Nissan press release is after the jump.

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An attentive Autoblog reader spotted what appears to be a prototype Mercedes S400 Hybrid in a Houston Texas parking lot the other day. The test car’s badges were all taped over, but the S400 and hybrid badging on the trunk lid seems to match the show concept. The S400 was shown at the Frankfurt Motor Show last fall and will launch into production in mid-2009 at about the same time as the ML450 Hybrid. While the SUV will use the Two-Mode hybrid system developed with GM, Chrysler, and BMW, the S400 will use the mild hybrid system created with BMW. The mild hybrid uses a 15kW motor sandwiched between the transmission and 3.5L V6. The Mercedes mild hybrid system is likely to be the first mass production hybrid with a lithium ion battery. At the auto show introduction, Mercedes claimed that the full-size hybrid luxury sedan will achieve nearly 30 mpg.

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