Nissan Considers Bringing Its Unusual E-Power Technology to America

by Steph Willems

Published: May 13th, 2017

nissan considers bringing its unusual e power technology to america

The success of Nissan’s e-Power system in the Japanese-market Note hatchback has company brass considering a trans-Pacific trip for the technology.

Should it arrive stateside, e-Power stands to give Nissan an edge in low-priced electrification — potentially undercutting the price of compact hybrid rivals by thousands. Unlike conventional hybrids and plug-in models, Nissan’s system burns gasoline every moment of the drive, despite an electric motor doing all the pulling work.

The novel approach is similar to the Chevrolet Volt’s powertrain, minus the larger battery and plug-in capability. There’s no option of all-electric driving with this system. Instead, a 1.2-liter three-cylinder turns at an optimized 2,500 rpm to generate electricity for the electric motor, feeding a steady slow of it into a compact battery located under the front seats.

Shrinking the battery means lower production costs and a friendlier MSRP. In Japan, a Note (Versa Note in the U.S.) with e-Power retails for about $19,000.

“It is a technology that clearly can fit outside Japan in all the key markets,” Daniele Schillaci, Nissan’s executive vice president of global marketing and sales, told Automotive News at last month’s Shanghai auto show. “We are thinking about moving forward faster on electrification, not only in pure EVs, but also in this e-Power technology.”

The technology first went on sale in Japan last November. Already, the Note e-Power has overtaken the Toyota Prius in sales, providing motivation for the automaker to seek out new markets. While a U.S. introduction isn’t a sure bet, Nissan surely sees it as fertile ground. Not only would the unconventional hybrid battle the Prius, it also has the new Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid to contend with.

“When a technology is successful, it is natural for us to seek something a bit wider,” said Schillaci.

The Note e-Power doesn’t quite reach the lofty fuel economy figures of rival hybrids, though it does offer greatly improved mileage at a lower starting price. Considering the Versa’s U.S. sales remain in the six-figure range, fielding a less-expensive hybrid version with punchier power delivery — Nissan rates the Note e-Power at 187 lb-ft of torque — could prove worthwhile.

[Images: Nissan]

#E-Power #Hybrids #Nissan #Overseas #Technology

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5 of 26 comments

Shaker on May 15, 2017

A 1.2 3-cylinder engine running constantly at 2500 RPM is probably going to produce around 40 HP (max, probably less). It will NOT be a quiet companion. The only advantage is that it will warm up and stay at a steady temperature.

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- Bumpy ii on May 15, 2017
  
  2500 rpm is just enough so you know it's there; it hardly constitutes a racket. 40hp is plenty for steady cruising in a car the size of a Note.
  
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- Shaker on May 15, 2017
  
  @bumpy ii In stop-and-go traffic, it would be an annoyance. My Volt has an 80 HP 1.4l that makes quite the racket on a depleted battery, flooring it while going up a steep hill - (probably hitting 4000RPM). Maybe if I ever break the engine in, it will smooth out a bit (I have the equivalent of 500 miles on it out of 5200 driven miles).
  
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Sceptic on May 15, 2017

Prius is a technological marvel beautifully executed by Toyota. Reliable, fairly economical with high bling factor. But from the practical point of view Prius' hybrid drive is too complex and expensive. This system from Nissan is everyman's "hybrid". Expect these to sell for about $16000 in the US. This will be successful.

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- Kokomokid on Aug 30, 2017
  
  The Prius power train is very simple, mechanically, with a planetary gear set and some gear reduction, but no clutches, or friction elements of any kind. The electronics are fairly complex, but electronics have gotten cheap enough to be almost a non-issue. The Note E-Power would not sell for $16,000 if sold in the U.S. The cheapest regular Versa Note is $16,365 with "destination charge." That car has a CVT and A/C, but crank windows, and probably no cruise control. Anyway, I really hope they sell the E-Power Note in the U.S., so we can find out what gas mileage it actually gets, like in CR's test at a steady 65 mph.
  
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