Nissan is nearing the milestone of half a million Leafs on the road. A good moment to take a firm step forward and launch the next innovation into the world. Their ‘e-Power’ is already a huge hit in Japan and should also become the alternative to the fully electric car for us. But how does that e-Power actually work and how does it feel in practice?
Nissan is quite ambitious when it comes to electric driving. “By 2022, we want to have eight new EV models on offer and deliver one million electric cars per year. The new e-Power drive also plays a leading role as an alternative. In Europe, EV, e-Power and plug-ins will account for half of sales, ”Techzle was told at Nissan’s design center in Japan. That ‘e-Power’ is still a somewhat unknown concept here, but that has to change. The concept is as follows: the wheels are driven by an electric motor, but this gets its power from a battery that is charged by a fuel engine. Not like a range extender that starts now and then, but a constant power supply.
“Where possible, we want to apply systems and knowledge about control technology as we know it from EVs. With the crucial difference that, for example, the Note e-Power has a small lithium-ion battery on board. The remaining energy is generated by the 1.2-liter three-cylinder engine, which acts as a generator. An important choice is that it never drives the wheels directly – not even at higher speeds, ‘explains an R&D technician.
Product planning chief Ponz Pandikuthira already reported at the last Geneva Motor Show that the system will be rolled out in Europe ‘in the next two years’. In Japan, Techzle could already get acquainted with the new Nissan Note. Under the hood of the test car, it is noticeable that it is nicely filled. Seen from the front is the drive motor on the right, a 109 hp EM57 power source as known from the Leaf for years. On top of that, you see the control and inverter electronics. Next to it is the 79 hp 1.2-liter three-cylinder engine. It has also been in service for years. In this case, it supplies power to a compact battery pack, reportedly with a capacity of 1.5 kWh.
Driving with e-Power
You can drive the e-Power in three modes: Eco, Normal and Sport. The first saves about 15 percent fuel consumption, but feels too tame to drive pleasantly. The Sport mode provides more dynamics and quite firm braking when recovering after releasing gas. It feels a bit like riding the Leaf’s e-pedal. ‘Normal’ gives – indeed – a common middle ground and with its 254 Nm of pulling power, the not-too-heavy Nissan takes off surprisingly spicy. What is also immediately noticeable is the lightning-fast response to acceleration.
Obviously you will hear the three-cylinder coming into action when it has to generate heavy energy, but it is not a nuisance in the city and at short distance. Once started, it drops even further to a level where you hear things like tire noise even more. The e-Power also offers a mode where it charges less and gives preference to the drive motor. It gives an effect that is more like a ‘normal’ version with a petrol engine.
Consumption and range
Nissan reports for the Note e-Power a consumption of 1 liter at 34 km in the Japanese government test. Of course we could not empty a tank, but based on the range in the dashboard, it comes to around 1 in 20 in Normal mode. Well, with us then. In a driving style that did not make our chaperone happy.
It is particularly promising in and around the city. It gives a range of roughly 700 kilometers. Add to this that the R&D department is even more economical lean-burn turbo engine works and it is clear why Nissan sees this as a serious alternative. Despite all the commotion surrounding the advance of the EV, battery-electric driving is certainly not the Egg of Columbus for everyone. Moreover, it is a nice safety net for Nissan, should the advance of the BEV be a bit disappointing.