Bridging the gap between EVs and ICEs.
While Nissan’s local office has previously made clear statements against introducing the Honda Jazz-sized Nissan Note in our market, it appears that that decision has been reneged on, but only just. The powers that be in management are now seriously weighing up the possibility of offering one specific variant of the Note, namely the one that hides an ‘e-Power’ drivetrain under the skin.
e-Power is essentially a different take on the typical petrol-electric hybrid powertrain, where instead of the electric motor working in a supportive role behind the combustion motor, it’s the other way around. In e-Power guise, the 1.2-litre engine up front works solely to generate electricity which is then sent to a small 1.5kWh battery pack, which then discharges its… uh, charge, to power the wheels. As a result, the engine runs at a constant, steady speed to make that power, turning itself on and off depending on the power demand and battery level.
There is no connection between the petrol motor and the front wheels, meaning that the driving experience provided by the Note e-Power is broadly similar to the one enjoyed by pure electric vehicles. What makes this car difficult to pigeonhole into a category is that it is not a ‘range-extender EV’ (where primary charge is provided by charging the car via the mains, and supplemented by a small generator motor) nor is it a traditional parallel hybrid that you might be familiar with (like the kind Honda and Toyota will sell you).
In comments made to our colleagues over at Drive, a spokesperson for Nissan Australia made it clear that the company is looking into the business case for the Note e-Power with serious intent, with an introduction likely to be fast-tracked once it’s been weighed up.
“e-Power is an exciting full-electric motor drive, that we are keen to see introduced into Australia as soon as possible. We believe this technology would be embraced locally, and are currently working with our global colleagues to confirm a strong future product plan that includes e-Power vehicles.” — Karla Leach, spokesperson, Nissan Australia
In our market where the necessary infrastructure to support full-electric cars is not exactly up to scratch, cars like the Nissan Note e-Power signify a big step towards full-electric mobility, as an almost-literal step between the traditional internal-combustion engine and the battery-electric powertrain, offering all the benefits of an electric car, the range of a petrol car, and none of the range anxiety.
Further, the potential introduction of the Note e-Power also signals Nissan’s reentry into the mass-market passenger car market, after a recent culling of their lineup has resulted in them taking the form of an SUV company, with just the GT-R super-sports car and the 370Z coupe as exceptions, and you can’t argue either of them are really ‘passenger cars’ in the broader sense. Of course, the range is expected to expand further in light of Nissan’s global plans to launch some 14 new models in the next few years, with the forthcoming cars expected to capitalise on the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance’s commitment to electrified propulsion.
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