Nissan will enter the hybrid market using its own technology by 2010.

This is the Japanese manufacturer’s first hint of involvement in hybrid vehicles and was announced as part of 'Nissan Green Program 2010’.

Nissan will also be launching a hybrid Altima in selected states in the USA with borrowed technology from Toyota.

As part of the new green program, a new cleaner 2.0-litre diesel will be available in Europe in April. The group will accelerate development of plug-in hybrid technology and reduce carbon dioxide emissions from global manufacturing by 7% compared to 2005 by 2010.

Nissan said it wants to set up a new company or even join with another company to make and sell lithium-ion batteries.

In addition, Nissan said it will study the global rollout of its ‘Nissan Green Shop’ program, an initiative that aims to improve the environmental impact of its dealerships.