Did you know that it is actualy possible to drive greener if you stay conscious about your driving habits? Well, the truth of the matter is: you can get some extra mileage if you bring some changes in your driving habits.Just think how wonderful it would be was there a constant monitoring system in your car to warn you about your driving erros and cheer you up for your each driving accomplishments!

Well, it is possible to have this kind of monitor in your car…thanks to Nissan that developed the cARWING technology that is soon to hit the Japan roads to help the drivers there to improve on their eco-driving skills.

Well, the Japanese car giant Nissan knew this all along: small driving mistakes lead to gross enegy wastage in the long run. Hence this electronic innovation from Nissan—the cARWING— that helps you to drive correctly and drive green. It is going to play the role of a kind of  e-guide that monitors your driving behaviour, indicates to the areas of driving where you went wrong and makes you drive the proper way to gain the maximum mileage from your car.

These are all parts of Nissan’s “Green Program 2010.” The CARWINGS system incorporates web-enabled technology which is designed to collect various driving data from customers’ vehicles. After being processed, they are presented to the customer through an user-friendly interface in form of value-added information  relevant for the improvement in eco-driving skills.

The system can be bought optionally with factory-installed DVD navigation systems. The system works on a day to day basis.

Nissan takes active efforts for curbing the CO2 emissions as a part of their  previously announced the “Nissan Green Program 2010″. CARWINGS service is another attempt at building up of public awareness about how flawed driving affect fuel efficiency and ultimately the environment.

The Asian automobile giant definitely deserves a big applause for these eco-friendly efforts. But the sad part is: CARWINGS  telematics service  is currently available only in Japan. We sincerely hope that the technology soon crosses borders to be available to the drivers of the rest of the world.

The warm-ups started right in the Orange County Auto Show, 2006 with the unveiling of country’s 14th Hybrid Car. And as it rolls into another new year, the countdown has already begun: Nissan’s 2007 Altima is all set to hit the stores across USA.

This highly sophisticated hybrid car claims to create the “new benchmark, purposefully powerful and refined”. Have a quick look at the unique features and stay informed about this new Nissan model.

Nissan Altima is definitely going to be a trend setter among its other green car cousins with an AT-PZEV(Advanced Technology Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle) rating up its sleeve. That is to say it virtually runs without any evaporative emissions.

With a power rating of 198 horsepower, the Altima Hybrid is going to be the most powerful among any available 4-cylinder hybrid systems. The car is equipped with 270-hp V6 and groundbreaking Xtronic CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) that delivers instant response.

So the performance is ensured, but you don’t have to compromise on the style either. With Bose audio system, touch screen navigation, plush finish with metallic accents, and rich textures, Nissan Altima is going to be the ultimate experience in luxury, comfort and safety for both the rider and the driver.

Also the driver-friendly technologies make your driving experience more enjoyable; no need to carry the key to start your Altima…a keyless push-button ignition system cuts down your effort to simply pressing the button and getting the immediate response. However, you get the convenient Intelligent Key all right. In addition to that a touch-screen navigation system with live traffic reporting slashes off the stress of driving at a longer stretch.

A piece of advice from the experts of Nissan: don’t program while you drive. If you are driving in Hawaii and Alaska, you will not get the benefits of navigation system; it is made operational only in the contiguous 48 states of the USA. Also, the mapping is not yet detailed and may not reflect all the current traffic regulations.

Initially the car is planned to be sold only in California, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont—the states having stricter emission rules than the other 42 states.

Feeling curious? Want to know more about this wonderful car that combines style and performance? The following links may come handy for you:

Orange County Auto Show

http://www.nissanusa.com/altima/interior.html

http://www.nissanusa.com/altima/

http://consumerguideauto.howstuffworks.com/2007-nissan-altima.htm

Here are some of the newest hybrids that are now available:

Lexus GS 450h
This compact car has an MSRP price of $55,595, or, if you can afford it, you can opt for the limited edition (pictured above) which was featured in the Neiman Marcus Christmas Book.  The Lexus GS 450h has EPA mileage figures of 25 city/28 highway.

Toyota Camry Hybrid 4dr Sedan
Like previous versions, the new Toyota Camry comes with either a four-cylinder engine or a V6. But it also has an all-new hybrid drivetrain that makes 192 horsepower (as much as the current 3.0-liter V6 model) while earning EPA mileage figures of 40-43 city and 37-38 highway.  MSRP price is $25,900.

Saturn Vue Hybrid - This SUV is equipped with a 4-cylinder engine and a Hydra-matic 4-speed automatic transmission.  This has EPA mileage figures of 27 city/32 highway and has an MSRP price of $22,995. 

While these aren’t available yet, you can also expect the following for 2007:

Saturn Aura Hybrid - Midsize car with a 4-cylinder engine and an 4-speed automatic transmission.

Nissan Altima Hybrid - Midsize car.