“Nissan’s e-POWER has evolved with the new XTRAIL! Why Don’t Other Makers Equip Series Hybrids?
New 1.5-liter VC Turbo x e-POWER
Nissan’s fully loaded new XTRAIL, the second generation e-POWER with the newly adopted 1.5-liter VC (variable compression ratio) turbo, is attracting attention not only from users but also from people involved with other manufacturers.
See the refined interior and exterior of the new Nissan XTRAIL in 35 images.
The all-new Nissan XTRAIL, completely redesigned for the first time in nine years
The e-POWER is an electric vehicle that uses the engine as a generator and the electricity from the engine to drive the motor, and technically classified as a series hybrid.
It is still fresh in our minds that Nissan adopted the first-generation e-POWER with a 1.2-liter engine in the second-generation Note in 2016, which significantly boosted Note sales in Japan.
Subsequently, it was also adopted in the Serena minivan, and in 2020, the improved second-generation e-POWER was introduced successively in the KIX SUV, and then in the third-generation Note and Aura.
The second-generation e-POWER with 1.5-liter VC turbocharger is now being used for the first time in the new XTRAIL, and Japan is the fastest country in the global market to introduce it.
In early September 2022, we were able to test drive the new xtrail 4WD (e-4ORCE) on public roads and highways, as well as hear at length from e-POWER development staff.
From there, I would like to delve deeper into the essence of e-POWER.
First of all, what many people may imagine about the 1.5-liter VC turbo introduced this time may be its dynamic acceleration. This is because of the difference in specifications from the second-generation e-POWER-equipped Note 4WD.
Specifically, the new Extrale 4WD’s front motor has a maximum output of 150 kW and maximum torque of 330 Nm, while the rear motor has 100 kW and 195 Nm. In contrast, the performance of the Note 4WD is significantly improved by a factor of 1.76/1.18 for the front and 2.0/1.95 for the rear, respectively.
However, the actual driving feel does not seem to lead directly to the expression “”dynamic.
Rather, the impression that the car is truly smooth, flexible, and fun to drive in any driving situation takes precedence. I felt that the sense of balance between e-POWER and e-4ORCE is very good, with the newly introduced body as the axis.
I was also strongly impressed by the fact that when the engine is turned on during overtaking acceleration on the highway, the amount of pressure on the accelerator pedal, the way the engine rpm rises, and the engine sound are in perfect sync with each other with the realization that the car is quiet enough.
Based on this test drive experience, we asked the e-POWER developers about the purpose of adopting the 1.5-liter VC turbo, and their answer was, “”To accelerate a (heavy) C-segment SUV smoothly and without stress, and to make it quieter.
Furthermore, “”Since we will be selling the turbo in Europe, it must be able to handle ultra high-speed driving on the German Autobahn and towing vehicles such as camping cars,”” he said.
The development process involves setting the performance of the motor based on such usage environments, and then designing a generator to generate the corresponding amount of electricity.
While previous e-POWER models were combined with a 1.2-liter NA (naturally aspirated) displacement, the new XTRAIL is turbocharged with a 1.5-liter displacement, which is calculated to provide a sufficient amount of power at low rpm. Furthermore, to improve fuel economy at high speeds, Nissan adopted VC (variable compression ratio) technology, which was already in mass production.
The 1.5-liter VC turbo engine was first installed in the Rogue, the North American sibling of the Extrale, from 2020 as a gasoline engine model, not as an e-POWER model, and the data obtained there was used to tailor the e-POWER for Japan, Europe, and China.
When the unit is used as an e-POWER, the engine is set to run at a minimum of 1600 or 2000 rpm and a maximum of 4800 rpm when the engine is started.
The developers say that the quietness of the engine as a generator is important to them, and to achieve this, they focused on lowering the engine speed.
As for the point introduced in the 1.2-liter second-generation e-POWER in the KIX, Note, and Aura, where the engine is turned on with priority given to conditions such as poor road surfaces to improve cabin quietness, “”the method of reading this from changes in motor rpm is basically the same as in other e-POWER models,”” he said.
Nissan’s e-POWER has evolved with the new XTRAIL! Why Don’t Other Makers Equip Series Hybrids?
Why aren’t there more series hybrids?
Series hybrids include Nissan’s e-POWER and also Daihatsu’s e-SMART Hybrid, which was introduced in 2021, but other manufacturers have not adopted them. Why are they limited to Nissan and Daihatsu?
The e-POWER developer’s personal opinion on this point is that “”it is difficult to balance the size of the motor, engine (as a generator), and battery in a cost-effective manner.
In response to such issues, Nissan has succeeded in keeping costs down by utilizing its electric component design know-how cultivated through the electrification technology of the “”LEAF”” EV, and Daihatsu by utilizing parts and design know-how used in Toyota’s various electric vehicles.
Furthermore, in the case of Daihatsu, “”low cost of good quality”” is the basis for development based on the vehicle size of the introduced vehicle, and the e-SMART Hybrid developer explains, “”We do not employ technologies such as aggressive engine application in poor road conditions, which Nissan employs, to keep costs low and reflect this in the new vehicle price.
Also, in the case of electric vehicles, the battery has a significant impact on the overall cost of the vehicle, but the electric capacity of series hybrids is set much lower than that of EVs.
For example, the Toyota bZ4X has 71.4 kWh, while the Daihatsu Rocky/Toyota Rise e-SMART Hybrid has a much smaller capacity of about 0.9 kWh (e-SMART Hybrid developer), and for e-POWER, when the Kicks was previously introduced, Nissan exchanged opinions online The e-POWER is about 1.5 kWh, according to the people involved. The e-POWER for the new xtrail has not yet been disclosed.
The e-POWER developer we spoke to said, “”A larger battery will naturally reduce the burden on the engine as a generator, but in addition to increased cost, the increased weight will have no small impact on driving performance.
When the battery charge is low, the power generated by the engine is directly used to drive the motor in the form of a battery.
Thus, behind the e-POWER’s high performance, including its cost, I feel that Nissan, along with Mitsubishi Motors, was the first major automaker to mass-produce EVs at roughly the same time, in the early 2010s, and that the various knowledge gained to date has been put to good use.”