Nissan are planning a Range Extender EV for 2016. Could it be the Sway (pictured)?
Nissan are planning to launch a range extended electric car with small petrol engine to increase range, but it won’t be based on the Nissan LEAF.
The range-extender – or series hybrid – uses a small ICE engine to generate power to feed an electric car’s batteries, thereby extending its range and allowing it to top-up quickly with fuel to continue on its way when the plug-in battery pack is depleted.
But despite range-extender cars having big BIK and VED benefits, in the real world they’re no more economical than a diesel car (unless you only occasionally use the ICE engine). Which is doubtless why Vauxhall dropped the Ampera in the UK – they couldn’t create enough demand.
The BMW i3 is currently the only car you can get in the UK with a range-extender engine, but now Nissan are getting ready to launch their own range-extender car – although they’re calling it a Series Hybrid – in 2016, and it’s not going to be a new version of the LEAF.
Speaking to Motoring in Australia, Yoshi Shimoida – a Nissan EV General Manager – said that although the LEAF won’t be getting an engine, there will be a new Nissan in 2016 that comes with a range extender engine.
It would seem the new Series Hybrid will be a new Nissan, and perhaps the favourite donor is the car we think points the way to the new Micra – the Nissan Sway.
But however good a range-extender car seems in theory, will Nissan be able to make it work?
The BMW i3 costs a chunky £34k – and the Vaxhall Ampera was pushing on £30k – but if Nissan can make it work for nearer £20k they could be in with a shout.
tara says
wow !!! best Vehicle i ever heared. Launching a pure battery-powered vehicles is a great news. Looking forward to this on road.
tara, Bizbilla
David Peilow says
“But despite range-extender cars having big BIK and VED benefits, in the real world they’re no more economical than a diesel car”
As an Ampera driver with a 78 mile round-trip commute, my car averages 236 MPG after 40,000 miles. I’ve taken it all over the UK on business and leisure trips too. Show me a diesel that gets that sort of economy.
I’d suggest that the real reason Vauxhall couldn’t generate demand was lack of dealer support (I heard tales of dealers actively trying to sell potential customers diesel Astras instead) and badge snobbery (It was a £30,000 Vauxhall) – despite it being the best car Vauxhall has made in my opinion. They withdrew the car just as the market for such vehicles picked up and now that second hand Amperas are reaching the hands of more real drivers, instead of company PR departments, I see a lot more of them around.
“The BMW i3 is currently the only car you can get in the UK with a range-extender engine”
If you ignore the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, Audi A3 e-tron and the Golf GTE…
If you look at the success story Mitsibushi has on it’s hands with the Outlander PHEV and the 100,000 sales of the Ampera’s sister car in the US, it’s clear there is demand for this type of vehicle at the right price.
Cars UK says
You clearly have the perfect commute distance, and can run your car on its plug-in juice most of the time. Perfect.
It’s good to hear your real world experience of the Ampera, and it concurs with our belief that range-extenders are a very sensible way to go – at the right price.
That’s been proven by the Outlander PHEV (the same price as the diesel version when you factor in the incentive), even though the Outlander is a plug-in hybrid rather than a range-extender (as are the A3 eTron and Golf GTE).