Nissan will bring range extending hybrid tech to Europe

Nissan has revealed it will be bringing a range-extending hybrid powertrain, which cannot be plugged into the mains, to Europe by 2022.

Called e-Power, the system has been on sale for a while in Nissan’s home market, serving in the Note supermini and Serena people carrier. It’s been the volume-selling powertrain in both models, so the Japanese firm has decided to bring it to Europe.

The IMq concept, which is taking pride of place on Nissan’s Geneva motor show stand, uses a high-performance four-wheel drive version of the e-Power system, mating a 335bhp dual electric motor system with a 1.5-litre range-extending petrol engine of unknown output.

The system uses the engine alongside a power generator, an inverter, a battery and an electric motor. The petrol engine is only used to charge the high-output battery, which Nissan claims produces greater economy and lower emissions than a conventional combustion engine.

Nissan has yet to embrace the existing plug-in hybrid in the same way as a number of rivals, and the e-Power system exists to bridge the gap between conventional power and the brand’s popular Leaf EV. Given the IMq serves as a preview to the next-generation Qashqai e-Power is likely to be used in that car, albeit in a watered-down form.

Also read: Nissan Leaf sales surge in Europe, India launch this year