The 2007 Nissan Altima hybrid electric car
 

FARMINGTON HILLS, MICH. Nissan, whose CEO Carlos Ghosn once claimed there was no market for hybrid electric cars in the United States, recently announced it plans to install fuel efficiency meters in all future models.

The company, which launched a "green program" in 2005, and rolled out its first hybrid electric vehicle, the Altima, in 2007, says it plans to help drivers track the ways in which their driving habits effect fuel efficiency.

Nissan already installed fuel-efficiency meters in all 2007 Altimas, and in all 2008 Titan pickup trucks, Armada SUVs, Infiniti G35 cars and QX56 SUVs. Essentially a horizontal bar, the gauge lengthens and turns orange when little fuel is being used, and shortens and turns red when fuel is being wasted.

"You will become a little less lead-footed if you can see what putting your foot to the pedal does to your fuel economy," said Tony Pearson, a Nissan spokesperson.

Nissan's fuel-efficiency meters are being phased into all Nissan models over the next few years. The company claims it has achieved a 10 percent increase in fuel efficiency by changing driver behavior in tests. But critics argue the gauges are a cheap and easy way for the company to pass the fuel efficiency buck onto the customer, and put off designing the cars to be more fuel efficient.

Source: [url=http://www.sustainableindustries.com/breakingnews/9337606.html]Sustainable Industries[/url]