People view Nissan's all-electric Mixim concept car at a vehicle show in Monaco in late March. The japanese auto giant is considering developing plug-in hybrid vehicles that can be charged at home, as it seeks to catch up with its rivals in fuel-sipping cars.

Nissan is considering developing plug-in hybrid vehicles that can be charged at home, as it seeks to catch up with its rivals in fuel-sipping cars, an official said Wednesday.

Japan's third-largest automaker is considering the move as consumers are increasingly switching to fuel-efficient cars due to high gasoline prices, spokesman Mitsuru Yonekawa said, declining to give further details.

Nissan has already conducted tests with an experimental model and is deciding whether to bring the car to market, according to local media.

Nissan has been slower than Toyota and Honda to embrace petrol-electric hybrids, seeing a brighter future for vehicles running entirely on electricity.

In an effort to close the gap with its rivals, Nissan is due to launch the first hybrid using its own technology in the United States and Japan in 2010.

© 2008 AFP