Since its debut in September 2022, more than 100,000 customers have taken delivery of Nissan’s innovative e-POWER vehicles. To date, 65,367 Qashqais and 34,663 X-Trails equipped with this powertrain have been sold in Europe.
More than one in five of those sales have been in the UK, where 21,026 e-POWER models have found homes with customers (18,591 Qashqai and 2,435 X-Trail).
What sets e-POWER apart is that the wheels are solely driven by an electric motor. This means the drive is effortless, smooth and quiet – much like a full electric vehicle. Indeed, e-POWER customers’ feedback shows that they particularly appreciate the quietness and easy driving characteristics of the powertrain.
The advanced and efficient petrol engine within the e-POWER system is used only to generate electricity, which charges the on-board battery and powers the wheels through the electric motor.
When low power is required to drive the vehicles and when the battery has enough power, the electric motor driving the wheels is only using electricity from the battery.
If more power is needed, the engine generates electricity to power the electric motor and charge the battery. When maximum power is required, the electric motor takes electricity from both the engine and from the battery. Additionally, any time power regeneration is possible, energy from vehicle motion is sent back to the battery.
In addition, electrical energy generation is controlled according to road conditions. When road noise increases due to surface conditions and vehicle speed, the engine switches on to charge the e-POWER battery pack. This reduces the need for the engine to operate under otherwise quieter conditions.
“We are so proud that our Qashqai and X-Trail customers recognise the advantages of our unique e-POWER technology – both through the efficiency and the superior drive experience it offers.
“To reach this milestone since e-POWER’s introduction in September 2022 is an outstanding achievement and a testament to the bold, innovative spirit of our product planning and engineering functions,” said Arnaud Charpentier, Region Vice President, Product Strategy & Pricing, Nissan AMIEO (Africa, Middle East, India, Europe & Oceania) region.
“e-POWER is a key component of Nissan’s electrification strategy, representing the perfect option for customers who are not quite ready to switch to a 100 per cent electric vehicle, but want to enjoy the effortless progress that only electric motor driven wheels can provide,” said David Moss, Senior Vice President, Region Research and Development, Nissan’s AMIEO region.
He added: “From the first unveiling to an incredible 100,000 e-POWER vehicles on the road, our journey continues with Nissan’s e-POWER – the gateway technology to an EV drive.”
Nissan’s unique technology is moving beyond Europe, hitting the road in Australia and New Zealand in both vehicles, and in Qashqai in Morocco.
Dynamic energy flow
To celebrate this milestone and show the intricate inner workings of e-POWER, Nissan is using projection technology that maps the dynamic energy flow directly on to the exterior of a Nissan Qashqai and X-Trail model.
Serving as the blueprint of this technological spectacle are 3D models of the e-POWER engine and drivetrain.
These digital designs transform each vehicle into a canvas for innovation using anamorphic projections, and provide audiences with a rare glimpse into the workings of e-POWER and how its unique configuration delivers a responsive, smooth, and quiet drive thanks to the wheels being 100% driven by the electric motor.