Nissan Qashqai e-Power Is Like a Chevy Volt, but Taller
There's still no confirmation this powertrain is coming to the US, but it could be another good way to get people interested in electrification.
Range anxiety is still keeping some buyers away from electric vehicles, but Nissan has a neat solution for that in Europe. While it doesn't yet have a foothold in the US, it could very well help more consumers wade into the wide world of electrification.
Nissan on Monday unveiled the Qashqai e-Power, a unique take on an electric vehicle. While there's still an electric motor and battery providing the sole source of forward motion, there's also a 1.5-liter turbocharged inline-3 gas engine on standby to provide juice for extending the vehicle's range. At no point does the internal combustion engine ever directly power the wheels; its sole purpose is to generate electricity for either the battery or the electric motor.
If that sounds familiar, it's because it is: The Chevrolet Volt used a similar powertrain layout for years, although in that instance the ICE did provide a smidgeon of direct power, but only at high speeds. However, Nissan currently lacks plans to bring its e-Power system to the US. What's strange is that e-Power is actually given a small corner of Nissan's US website, even though it points out that the powertrain is unavailable in the US.
While the Qashqai's powertrain may never make it to our shores, there's a good chance the rest of this small SUV previews something we will get. The Qashqai goes by Rogue Sport in the US, and the vehicle shown here likely previews a new generation destined for the US in 2023. If Europe is anything to go by, expect a revised Rogue Sport to pick up the same exterior treatment, including those sharp double-slit headlights. The interior gets changed up with a floating infotainment screen and a (presumably optional) digital gauge cluster.
Nissan's e-Power system is also helping fuel innovation in other ways. Most recently, Nissan has been using this powertrain to help create a more efficient gas engine. Since e-Power only uses the ICE for generating electricity, Nissan cranked up the compression and leaned out the air-fuel mixture that, in conjunction with other waste-heat recovery systems, improved the engine's thermal efficiency to 50%. That's a huge jump from the 40% efficiency that most gas engines promise.
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