The auto industry is focussed on electrification today as a way to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and prevent further climate change. While the idea of electrified powertrains is not new and in fact, EVs had a large presence over 100 years ago, they failed to become as popular as vehicles with combustion engines which continue to be the dominant type up till today.
But automakers did not put EVs out of their mind entirely and still worked on trying to make them viable. From time to time, with new technologies becoming available, prototypes would be developed and shown to the world. But mass production was difficult to start due to costs and more importantly, acceptance by motorists to grow volumes and achieve economies of scale.
Mass production of EVs
It was only in 2010 that Nissan started mass production of a fully electric car. It was a bold move when you consider that charging stations were almost non-existent. Though an EV’s battery pack can be recharged from a household power socket, the supply is low and so it takes a long time.
Nevertheless, Nissan pushed ahead and its EV, called the LEAF, showed that a fully electric car could be practical as an alternative to those with combustion engines. Encouraged by growing acceptance, Nissan kept improving its EV technologies which laid the groundwork for today’s EVs.
Innovations such as a lithium-ion battery pack with a laminated cell structure and large surfaces for cooling, and the incorporation of the battery pack onto the floor of the vehicle to optimise weight distribution and rigidity were significant breakthroughs.
Pioneering product
As a pioneering product, the LEAF had many proprietary components – such as the inverter, power module, motor control system and DC/DC converter – which had all to be developed in-house by Nissan.
By doing things yourself, you learn better and Nissan has gained a wealth of experience in EVs which is proving to be even more valuable today as the industry goes further into electrification. And while EVs will eventually replace vehicles with combustion engines, there is still a transition period where electrified powertrains – not fully electric – are a realistic mobility solution.
Introduced in Japan in 2018
In this respect, Nissan has drawn on its EV expertise to develop the e-POWER drive system. Introduced in the Note model sold in Japan in 2018, the e-POWER system takes a different approach to using electrification for propulsion. It is not entirely dependent on the petrol engine to run and only an electric motor powers the wheels.
Of course, the motor still needs electricity to run and this comes from a lithium-ion battery pack. There is no need to recharge the battery pack as it will be replenished when necessary while running (through regenerative braking) as well as from the small and efficient engine.
How quickly the energy in the battery pack is used up depends on driving conditions, just like with a petrol engine. If you go faster, then energy will be consumed at a faster rate. Thus the engine will only run at certain times and intelligent programming of the software optimises the recharging.
Only electric motor powers wheels
With most hybrid electric powertrains, use of the engine also occurs, depending on conditions. However, as mentioned earlier, with the e-POWER system, only the electric motor powers the wheels – just like a fully electric vehicle like the LEAF. In most driving conditions, especially around town, the engine will only run minimally.
Best of both worlds
This gives the best of both worlds – the performance and benefits of a fully electric vehicle with the advantages of not having to look for a recharging station and ready availability of fuel for the engine.
You can drive as far as you want and almost anywhere you want without worrying about being stranded. According to Nissan, an e-POWER system with a 1.2-litre engine can provide a range of up to 900 kms.
Apart from having some components and systems from the LEAF – which means they have been well proven – development of the e-POWER system also involved engineers who worked on the powertrains of the powerful R35 GT-R sportscar. These included Naoki Nakada, a former chief engineer who works on the GT-R and also the original LEAF.
Not as simple as it looks
Commenting on the e-POWER system, Nakada said it’s not as simple as it looks to develop. ”In fact, it’s quite the opposite. You have to get the balance right between electricity use and power generation, ensure the perfect timing for when the petrol engine operates and match the battery capacity to the type of car. A lot of development work went into perfecting the customer experience,” he explained.
“We want to offer e-POWER to as many people as possible, as soon as possible. With e-POWER, we are giving them the full electric driving experience, which can in turn help accelerate toward a carbon neutral, electrified mobility world,” he added.
Tested, proven and ready forn the world
Although the e-POWER system was introduced 8 years ago, it was kept only in the Japanese market which is not an unusual practice. The Japanese, with their reputation for offering vehicles that are very reliable and durable, want to make sure that new technologies are thoroughly proven before they use it in products sold globally.
By just limiting such new products with new technologies to their home market, it is easier for engineers to get to vehicles that may have technical problems. This allows them to quickly work on finding solutions to eliminate the problems.
In this way, the track record of Nissan EV models with regards to dependability and safety is top-notch. For example, after 1 million units of accumulated global sales volume, there have been no critical battery accidents.
Coming to Malaysia this year
Malaysians will also be able to have e-POWER as another electrification option as Edaran Tan Chong Motor will launch a new Nissan model with the system before the end of this year. A preview of the model was shown at the Malaysia Autoshow 2024 in May and it is no secret that is the Kicks since the model is already sold in neighbouring ASEAN countries.
