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Nissan Debuts New Series-Type Hybrid for 2017 Note

Nissan's new e-Power series-type hybrid propulsion system uses a 1.2-L three-cylinder gasoline ICE running at a constant 2,500 rpm combined with a 1.5-kWh lithium ion pack and a Nissan Leaf 80-kW traction motor.

Nissan’s recently unveiled 2017 Note, a Japan-market 5-door, is powered by what the company claims is the world’s first series-type hybrid propulsion system in a compact automobile. The Note and its so-called e-Power system show that Nissan engineers have learned to adopt elements of the battery-electric Leaf driveline (including the 80-kW/107-hp traction motor) to a hybrid configuration, albeit without plug-in capability.

Nissan graphic comparing Series-type hybrid system, 'full' hybrids and BEVs.

The introduction of e-Power, which is slated to spread to other Nissan and possibly Renault vehicles, expands upon Nissan’s comparatively limited hybrid approach represented by the single motor, CVT-based, P2-type system as used in the 2017 Rogue Hybrid.

Nissan calls e-Power "a gateway to 100% electric cars" and provides “all the benefits of an EV without having to worry about charging the battery." Eliminating EV range anxiety and minimizing system costs appear to be the primary drivers behind the series-hybrid strategy. The company is betting on the new Note e-Power to draw customers in Japan, where more than half the passenger vehicles sold are now hybrids.

Technically a series hybrid has only an electric transmission path between the power source and the driven wheels. Diesel-electric railroad locomotives exemplify this configuration, with the diesel turning at constant speed to spin an electric generator which then powers traction motors at the locomotive’s rail wheels (trucks).

BMW’s i3 range-extender is the only true series hybrid car currently available—and it’s a B-segment compact, so it’s unclear where Nissan is staking its “world first” claim. The i3’s twin-cylinder ICE only provides power to charge the battery, where the Chevrolet Volt’s (sometimes labeled a series hybrid) Voltec electric transaxle is capable of clutching the combustion engine into the final drive via a planetary gearset to provide extra power in certain driving situations.

The 2017 Nissan Note e-Power will debut in the Japan home market.

Series hybrids have also been built by engineering consultancies including FEV and AVL in recent years to demonstrate the type’s efficiency potential. Some have even used Wankel rotaries rather than piston engines.

Nissan’s Tokyo announcement on the Note was intentionally light on technical detail, with chief powrtrain engineer Naoki Nakada stating that minimizing the car’s battery size was a key program bogey, aimed at reducing cost (and mass).

He also noted that the Note’s lithium-ion batteries are “one-twentieth the size” of those in the Leaf, “and made to fit under the front seats without having to sacrifice interior space." If Nakada-san was speaking specifically about the battery’s total capacity that would calculate to 1.5 kWh, as the Leaf battery is rated at 30 kWh.

The ICE is Nissan’s 1.2-L gasoline triple is taken from the Micra and is calibrated for 2,500-rpm operation to charge the battery pack.

Recently Renault-Nissan Alliance chairman Carlos Ghosn said publicly that the new e-Power hybrid system is “definitely cost-competitive with diesel,” adding that it carries a 27% cost premium (similar to that of a comparable diesel) versus a conventional gasoline powertrain. Ghosn indicated that e-Power is capable of delivering diesel-like fuel efficiency.

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    Transcript

    00:00:11 Nissan’s new series hybrid system, e-POWER makes driving cleaner and more efficient while offering the acceleration and quietness of an electric vehicle. e-POWER technology is our newest form of electric-motor driven powertrain under Nissan Intelligent Mobility. e-POWER is Nissan’s new Intelligent Power offering in moving forward its electrification strategy. Built at the Oppama plant in Japan, NOTE e-POWER is the first mass produced compact car to feature this new powertrain. Similar to an EV, the wheels are completely driven by the electric motor. But the main difference is how electricity is produced.

    00:00:58 It’s not using the electricity from the charged batteries but it uses the electricity generated by the engine. The system decides when to use the engine to produce electricity and increase efficiency. Energy management is key to the EV-like driving experience of the new e-POWER. In conventional hybrids, a low-output electric motor is mated to a gasoline engine, powering the wheels when the battery is low. But in the e-POWER system, the engine simply charges the battery. Compared to LEAF, the batteries are 1/20th the size and made to fit under the front seats without having to sacrifice interior space. e-POWER allows drivers to enjoy the benefits of EV

    00:01:59 without having to worry about charging the battery. An electric motor-run car gives the best torque in stop-and-go situations, and you also get good response and smooth acceleration. You can have so much fun with this car! e-POWER technology aims to provide customers a gateway to 100% electric cars and further Nissan’s pursuit of a zero-emission society.

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