Nissan Qashqai e-POWER innovative Hybrid on sale in the UK in the summer

The new Nissan Qashqai will go on sale in the summer with Nissan’s innovative ‘Petrol-Powered’ EV powertrain for the first time.

When is an electric car not an electric car? Perhaps it’s when the electricity for the batteries is provided by a petrol engine? If that combination of petrol making electricity seems a bit odd to you, then you’ll have an issue with the new Nissan Qashqai E-Power. But what is Nissan E-Power?

Unlike a normal Hybrid car, where a small electric motor is powered by an equally small battery to fill in gaps in the power curve and allow short periods of EV driving, Nissan’s E-Power uses its petrol engine to charge a battery which then powers an electric motor. So, although petrol provides electricity to the battery, it’s the electric motor which drives the wheels.

That means, to all intents and purposes, you’ll be driving a car which may be powered by petrol, but behaves exactly like an EV, with instant torque and quiet running and no range anxiety whatsoever.

The E-Power setup in the Qashqai means a 156bhp, 1.5-litre petrol engine is used to deliver power to the battery which then powers a 188bhp electric motor – with the petrol engine also adding power through an inverter directly to the electric motor at high speeds and under acceleration – and, thanks to the engine running at optimal speeds at all time, economy in the mid-50s mpg.

The ‘halfway house’ approach by Nissan may be decried by EV anoraks, but as a stepping stone to a full EV for those who aren’t convinced that it’s practical to run an EV with the still less than reliable recharging infrastructure – not to mention the price of EVs – it holds much promise.

In fact, since Nissan introduced E-Power in Japan in 2016 it’s become the best-selling powertrain option, and it’s not hard to see the same happening in the UK when the Qashqai E-Power goes on sale this summer.

Guillaume Cartier, Chair of Nissan’s AMIEO region, said:

The introduction of the innovative e-POWER system to the new Qashqai brings more of Nissan’s pioneering spirit to the crossover segment. Customers will love the feeling of driving an EV but without consideration for charging. And e-POWER represents a significant milestone in Nissan’s electrification strategy.

No prices for the new Nissan Qashqai E-Power yet, but with an on-sale in the UK in the summer we should get them soon.