With gasoline prices constantly in flux, it seems that Europeans are spearheading the charge to Hybrid vehicles. Gas is much more expensive in Europe, so this is certainly not a shocker. The Infiniti brand is doing extremely well overseas, and now the M35h Hybrid is beginning to take solid footing on the continent.
Neil Winton of the Detroit News documents Infiniti’s European success:
Infiniti has said its sales in Western Europe will nearly double in the year ending March 2012 to between 7,000 and 8,000. Infiniti also predicts a strong sales increase for Russia, where volume should rise to between 7,000 and 8,000 compared with about 6,000 the previous year. Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn wants to more than triple Infiniti’s annual sales to 500,000 by 2016 and win 10 per cent of the global luxury market. Ghosn also wants to attack China, where Infiniti market share is two per cent. The target is at least eight per cent by 2016.
The M30d is expected to be the biggest seller in Europe, powered by a 235 hp 3.0-liter V6 diesel. The M37 has a 3.7-litre V6 316 hp gasoline motor. The third engine option is the M35h gasoline-electric hybrid. The hybrid combines a 302 hp 3.5-liter V6 with a 67 hp electric motor and will allow electric-only driving of up to maybe two or three miles, on a good day.
You can read Neil’s entire article here.
