New Nissan Qashqai E-Power: An ‘ELECTRIC’ Qashqai driven by petrol

The new Nissan Qashqai will soon be revealed, and it will come with the option of E-Power. But what is Nissan E-Power?

We should have seen an all-new Nissan Qashqai hit showrooms in 2020, but Nissan had its hands full with Covid and Ghosn and that plan was binned, so we’re now expecting the new Qashqai to be revealed in the coming weeks. And it’s a big deal.

It’s a big deal not just for rather beleaguered Nissan, but for UK PLC too as the Qashqai is built in Sunderland and underpins the local economy, as well as adding significant numbers to export tallies.

We’ve already seen Nissan divvy up a fair bit of detail on the new Qashqai, including photos of the new Qashqai’s much-improved interior, but it seems keen to push the optional E-Power powertrain you can have in the new Qashqai in addition to a mild hybrid 1.3 litre petrol. And with good reason.

In effect, the new E-Power powertrain in the Qashqai is an electric powertrain powered by petrol. Which seems like an oxymoron but is, in many ways, a cleverer way of delivering a hybrid powertrain.

Instead of both an electric motor and ICE powering the wheels, as it does in a normal hybrid, the ICE is used only do deliver power to a high-output battery which in turn powers the electric motor which then drives the wheels.

This setup allows to ICE to run at fairly constant revs – and therefore be as economical as possible – and the electric motor driving the front wheels delivers a full EV driving experience (albeit with a bit of background noise from the ICE) complete with instant torque.

This is the closest you’ll get to an electric Qashqai (with the new Nissan Ariya taking the BEV role), and it’s a powertrain solution that’s made a big impact in Japan, with the E-Power versions of the Nissan Note accounting for 70 per cent of sales.

For the new Qashqai, the E-Power powertrain comes with a more potent 1.5 litre petrol engine good for 155bhp to deliver the ‘electric’, and a 187bhp electric motor driving the front wheels, with Nissan’s one-pedal e-Pedal driving available (it’s very easy to use after a bit of practice) and a trio of driving modes.

David Moss, Nissan VP, said:

The e-POWER system offers the best transition technology between ICE and EV, allowing users to enjoy exhilarating EV driving sensations and impressive efficiency at an affordable price point. We’re really looking forward to customers experiencing the thrill of new Qashqai’s superior electrified driving performance – it’s a perfect expression of Nissan Intelligent Mobility.

If buyers of the new Nissan Qashqai in the UK engage their brains, the E-Power version should end up being the biggest-selling version by far.