You have to hand it to Carlos Ghosn: The man doesn't mince words.

In an interview with Automotive News today, the Nissan CEO declared that the company is “not intending to play a leadership role in hybrids” and noted that “one company already assumed leadership in the technology."

Presumably, Ghosn was referring to Toyota, with its category-defining Prius hybrid. The interview, in fact, centered on Nissan's plans not to offer a stand-alone hybrid vehicle; instead, hybrid drivetrains will be offered only for existing models (and then most likely for the company's larger vehicles, which would follow the lead of Nissan's first hybrid -- the Infiniti M35 -- which is slated to roll out in 2012).

This is not a case of Nissan giving up, though; rather, the company is looking to carve out its own niche. Ghosn notes that Nissan wants to be known not for hybrids, but rather for zero-emission electric vehicles, like its upcoming Leaf (pictured).

Like I noted earlier today, we are starting to see a new wave of companies trying to demarcate their customer base through the technologies they choose to embrace: For example, Toyota is the current leader in gas/electric hybrids; Suzuki is one of the few seriously pursuing hydrogen fuel-cell technology; and Nissan is forgoing a real hybrid push to focus on zero-emission EVs.

Let the battle(s) begin!