Nissan Qashqai E-Power: how does it actually work?
Creating one’s own interpretation of hybrid
It is funny to see how manufacturers give their own interpretation of hybrid technology. One brand has chosen a traditional setup where an electric motor supports a gasoline engine. In some cases, the electric motor can also drive only the front wheels if sufficient electrical energy is available. Differences in transmissions also exist: from a dual-clutch automatic to a CVT. Nissan is doing things a little differently with E-Power technology. In this case, the car does have a gasoline engine, but it is not connected to the wheels. Only the electric motor drives the wheels. How does that work? What are the advantages and disadvantages? More importantly, what kind of consumption should you think of in a Nissan Qashqai with E-Power technology? In this article, we go into all the details.
Nissan E-Power
Nissan’s E-Power technology combines a gasoline engine, which charges the battery, with an electric motor that drives the wheels. This technology offers a number of advantages. You drive a car with the driving characteristics of an electric car, but do not have to charge the car at a plug. Indeed, that is not even possible with the Nissan Qashqai E-Power. If you want to power the electric motor, you have to refuel. It sounds strange, but it is the absolute reality.
So you don’t need a plug?
So for E-Power, you don’t need a plug. The gasoline engine produces the energy used to charge the battery. The battery then powers the electric motor to drive the wheels. So the gasoline engine acts as an aggregate, or range-extender, whatever you want to call it. The E-Power system also ensures that no energy is lost. When you slow down, friction is created and it also produces energy. That energy is converted by the regenerative braking system and returned directly to the battery. That’s how you win back some power.
Character of EV
Because the Nissan Qashqai E-Power is powered by an electric motor, you therefore also enjoy the benefits of such a drive. You have instant traction and thus always enough power behind you to accelerate just as quickly. Driving via one-pedal-driving is possible, but you have to press the E-Pedal button. In this mode, you hardly need the brake pedal to force the SUV to a stop, as long as you anticipate properly. The car with e-Pedal engaged, by the way, does not slow down to a stop. You always have to apply the brakes to bring the car to a complete stop.
Concessions, which you also make with E-Power
You do make some concessions with an E-Power powertrain. For example, at the time of writing, an all-electric car is exempt from road tax, but the Qashqai E-Power is not. Because although the this Qashqai drives electric, it requires gasoline to generate the energy. So you pay as much road tax as a Qashqai with a conventional powertrain. Compared to a Qashqai with only a gasoline engine, you also sacrifice on braked towing weight. The Qashqai E-power may tow 750 kilograms braked versus 1,400 kilograms for a Qashqai Mild-Hybrid 140 MT.
An E-Power powertrain consists of:
– an electric motor that drives the wheels
– a lithium-ion battery that powers the electric motor
– an internal combustion engine that generates energy to charge the battery
– a generator that converts mechanical energy into electrical energy
– an inverter that receives the energy from the motor and uses it to charge the lithium-ion battery and/or drive the electric motor
Understanding the E-Power technology
The internal combustion engine automatically starts when the lithium-ion battery charge level drops below a certain level. Through the energy flow diagram in the instrument panel, you always have insight into the battery’s charge level. You can also see here when the gasoline engine is turned on. For faster charging and less weight, the Qashqai E-Power’s lithium-ion battery is smaller than that of a standard electric car, as the battery has a capacity of only 1.97 kWh.
Component specifications
Now let’s look at it more specifically. The powertrain of the Qashqai E-Power consists of a 1.5-liter three-cylinder turbocharged gasoline engine with 158 hp available at 4,600 rpm. Between 2,400 and 4,000 rpm, the three-cylinder delivers 250 Nm of pulling power. The electric motor delivers 190 hp (140 kW) between 4,500 and 7,500 rpm and 330 Nm of torque from 0 to 3,000 rpm.
Nissan Qashqai E-Power, how does it actually work? – AutoRAI TV
Performance Nissan Qashqai E-Power
Performance then: the car takes 7.9 seconds to sprint from 0 to 100 km/h. The top speed is 170 km/h. Thanks to a 55-liter gasoline tank, quite a bit of gasoline goes into the car. On paper, average fuel consumption comes out to between 5.3 and 5.4 liters per 100 kilometers. On paper, that results in average CO2 emissions of 120 grams per kilometer. So CO2 emissions are not as low as a plug-in hybrid. In practice, you get 1 in 17 with a leisurely driving pace. That means you can travel about 850 to 900 kilometers on a full tank.
E-Power also available in X-Trail
Nissan E-Power technology is available in the Qashqai and X-Trail. e-POWER is available with e-4ORCE technology for the Nissan X-TRAIL with all-wheel drive.
Prices Nissan Qashqai E-Power
- 45,340 euros – N-Connecta
- 47,440 euros – Tekna
- 50,940 euros – Tekna Plus
For the X-Trail with E-Power, the price ranges from 49,000 to just under 65,000 euros.
Is Nissan E-Power right for me?
So is Nissan’s E-Power technology for you? That depends purely on your taste. Maybe you are not yet ready to charge an electric car, but are a fan of the driving characteristics of an EV. In that case, E-Power is a great solution. You’re on the road in a car with the character of an EV and refueling only takes a few minutes. If you can live with the concessions, then E-Power is definitely recommended, even more so because the Nissan Qashqai basically just drives pretty darn good. It is one of the finest handling SUVs in its segment with ample interior space and rich trim. So a lot of car for your pennies.
