Nissan Motor has selected its assembly plant in Tennessee for production of its first hybrid vehicle, according to the Associated Press (AP).

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Production of the petrol-electric Altima will begin in 2006 and Nissan will invest $US10.4 million for additional equipment and minor modifications to existing assembly lines at the plant in Smyrna, a Nashville suburb.


About 6,700 existing employees in Smyrna and 1,300 in Decherd plus 2,800 supplier contractors will be trained to build the new line, AP said.


The news agency noted that the plant in Smyrna was built in 1980 as Nissan’s first full production facility outside Japan – it makes traditional petrol engine Altima and Maxima cars, Xterra and Pathfinder sports utility vehicles and Frontier pickups.

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