Everybody these days wants to be green.  There are massive amounts of money and incentives for any automaker to build a vehicles that get better mileage.  Hybrids have the spotlight in that category as they get outstanding mileage by supplementing gas power with stored electric.

Nissan is no exception, and they offer a hybrid Nissan Altima in their line up.  But they are currently sourcing the technology from continental rival Toyota, who is years ahead of most automakers with their prius.  Buying the technology from Toyota cuts into their margins.

And eventually the automaker is hoping to have electric vehicles that use no gas on the road.  Hybrid technology is a stepping stone to get there.