YOKOHAMA: An electric car that does not need to be plugged into the mains in order to replenish its batteries? Is that a good idea?
Nissan seems to think so and a new version of the popular Note minicar comes with the e-Power hybrid system, made up of a normal petrol engine and an electric motor.
This time engineers have turned the normal hybrid concept on its head. The electric motor spins the wheels and the three-cylinder combustion engine is used solely to recharge the car batteries.
“The e-Power system allows you to enjoy all the benefits of an EV without having to worry about recharging the battery,” says Nissan.
The electrified Note may seem similar to the BMW i3 with its range-extender, but the German car’s petrol engine is an expensive fossil-fuel comfort blanket. It only kicks in when the battery charge has dwindled to 6.5 per cent.
The Note e-Power uses a smaller lithium-ion battery pack and an auxiliary engine as the recharger. Since it is not connected to the wheels, that unit is tuned to run at its most efficient: 2,500 revolutions per minute.
Nissan says the Note e-Power has all the main advantages of electric propulsion, since it offers instant and seamless acceleration from the outset.
Fuel consumption figures have not been released, but the set-up sounds pretty frugal since the engine does not have the tough task of moving the machine away from a standstill.
Nissan has been tight-lipped about the battery capacity, engine output and motor output, but indicates similarities to the best-selling Leaf which turns out around 80 kilowatts.
The company said the e-Power Note is currently only being built for Japan, but did not rule out it entering coming to other markets in the future.
Keyword: Nissan's new electric Note doesn't need a charging cable