[New Nissan X-Trail] “Taking the best of FF and FR” Electric 4WD “e-4ORCE”, what is different from Aria and RAV4?
“NISSAN XTRAIL New Model] “”The Best of FF and RWD”” Electric Four-Wheel Drive “”e-4ORCE””, What makes it different from Aria and RAV4?
The all-new NISSAN XTRAIL made its Japan debut on July 20, 2022. All models are powered by the VC turbo engine + e-POWER, and the 4WD system is the e-4ORCE, which is also used in the Aria.
The “”e-4ORCE”” is Nissan’s most advanced product, which allows the driver to freely control the four-wheel drive system to improve off-road traction, on-road handling, and ride comfort. What are the benefits of e-4ORCE? How is it different from other companies’ 4WD control systems? We interviewed the engineers involved in its development.
Nissan XTRAIL, which is “”80% 4WD””, is the only vehicle that needs this technology.
We interviewed Ryozo Hirakou, Expert Leader of the Powertrain EV Technology Development Division and General Manager of the Technology Planning Department, Planning and Advanced Technology Development Division, and Hiroyuki Togashi, Manager of the Steering and Ride Comfort Performance Planning Group, Vehicle Planning and Performance Planning Department, Vehicle Element Technology Development Division. Both are expert engineers who are responsible for the driving performance of a wide variety of Nissan vehicles.
In the past, the main purpose of 4WD was to secure traction on slippery surfaces such as snow or rain. While this is still a benefit of 4WD today, all manufacturers have recently made advances in 4WD drive control, and 4WD is now also used to “”improve vehicle responsiveness”” on dry on-road surfaces. Nissan’s e-4ORCE also aims to improve all-round drivability, from on-road to off-road, by ideally distributing driving force to all four wheels.
The Aria, the first model to adopt e-4ORCE, was more of an on-road oriented urban SUV, so there are many users who say that 2WD is fine, but the previous generation XTRAIL, which accounted for 80% of 4WD sales, is a vehicle that requires that “”all-round driving performance””. The e-4ORCE technology is exactly what the XTRAIL needs.
Control of drive torque to control yaw moment and also improve ride comfort
According to Hirakoh, “”e-4ORCE”” is simply a control technology that changes the force driven by the four tires to change (or not) the direction of the car as intended by the driver and suppresses body pitching to improve ride comfort. They control the yaw moment when turning by precisely controlling the drive torque of each wheel using the front and rear motors and the left and right brakes.
It is also possible to control the braking force on the front and rear wheels to maintain a flat attitude when the gas pedal is off. This suppresses pitching during braking, and the driver feels a more comfortable ride.
However, this type of drive control is not new, as it is also used by other manufacturers. Dynamic Torque Vectoring AWD (gasoline 4WD) and E-FOUR (hybrid 4WD) in Toyota’s RAV4 and real-time AWD in Honda’s CR-V also improve traction and cornering performance on rough roads by distributing drive torque to the rear wheels. In fact, such electric 4WD vehicles boast outstanding stability on slippery surfaces. However, the e-4ORCE is slightly different from these vehicles.
Combination of FWD and RWD”” is possible.
According to Togashi, the e-4ORCE is characterized by the large absolute output of the rear motor. In the case of the Extrail e-4ORCE, the front motor delivers 150kW/330Nm and the rear motor 100kW/195Nm. 1.2 times higher output for the front and 1.9 times higher output for the rear than the “”Note””. Frankly speaking, such a high rear output is unnecessary if all that is needed is to stabilize the vehicle’s behavior on slippery surfaces. For example, the RAV4 Hybrid’s E-FOUR rear motor has an output of 40kW/121Nm, which is enough for half the output of the new Extrale e-4ORCE.
(Reference)
Extrail e-4ORCE: RWD motor (150kW/330Nm), RR motor (100kW/195Nm)
Outlander PHEV: RWD motor (85kW/255Nm), RR motor (100kW/195Nm)
RAV4 Hybrid: Driving force: FR motor (88kW/202Nm), RR motor (40kW/121Nm)
Aria B9 e-4ORCE: Maximum output 290kW, maximum torque 600Nm *Front/rear distribution not disclosed
According to Togashi, the e-4ORCE’s strength is its ability to combine the best of FWD and RWD. e-4ORCE’s goal is to be able to accelerate and turn in any situation, especially reliable in snow and wet conditions.
The e-4ORCE has variable torque distribution from 0:100 to 100:0. While this is possible with other models, the larger rear motor output, for example, allows for quicker acceleration when the load is on the rear in an uphill corner, as the rear 100kW (135ps) is the main drive. Also, on a downhill corner, the front side specializes in changing the direction of the car and the rear side mainly provides traction, so the line does not bulge outward and the car can trace the line as desired. This is truly an advantage of cornering a RWD vehicle.
Of course, when accelerating/decelerating on level ground or driving at high speeds, a high degree of straight-line stability can be expected by driving mainly on the front side. In fact, FF and RWD are not switched like a switch, but are controlled seamlessly, giving the driver a “”better driving”” feeling.
Is the Aria’s most powerful model, the B9 e-4ORCE, Nissan’s “”real deal””?
Incidentally, for those who want a sense of security, it is said that the driver can set the car to snow mode even in town, a mode in which e-4ORCE intervenes 100%, giving the driver absolute security on any surface, including rough, snowy, asphalt, and gravel roads, and it also controls the vehicle’s attitude during braking and driving constantly, making the ride feel very comfortable. It is said to be very comfortable.
Speaking of e-4ORCE, the Aria’s most powerful model, the B9 e-4ORCE, which has yet to be unveiled to the public, is also noteworthy. The system output is in the 290kW/600Nm (front/rear balance not yet disclosed) class, which should be more rear-wheel side output than the Extrale. Nissan’s serious e-4ORCE will be seen in the B9 e-4ORCE scheduled for delivery this summer.
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)”