2023-05-23 22:00:00
With the Qashqai e-Power, Nissan offers an extremely unusual electric car.
With the e-power drive, Nissan is bringing a completely different, slightly curious variant of electrification to the tableau: a 116 kW/158 hp three-cylinder turbo petrol engine meets a 140 kW/190 hp electric motor. So far not unusual, one might think, sounds like a conventional plug-in hybrid with decent system performance.
Electricity for driving the wheels of the Qashgai E-Power comes from the petrol engine
But far from it! The special thing regarding this concept: Instead of switching back and forth between the combustion engine and the electric motor as required, the wheels of the Qashqai e-Power are driven exclusively by electricity. The electricity required for this is not stored in a large battery using a charging cable, as is usual with e-vehicles, but is produced more or less “on demand” by the petrol engine.
Sounds like something thought of around the corner – and it is in practice too. According to Nissan, however, speak some weighty arguments in favor of this concept. On the one hand, the Qashqai e-Power offers the driving behavior of pure e-cars, but without being dependent on regular charging. On the other hand, the combustion engine in this constellation always runs in the optimum speed range and in the best compression ratio, which should have a positive effect in comparison to pure combustion engines, above all in the significantly lower consumption. However, we did not come close to achieving the 5.4 liters per 100 kilometers promised by Nissan in the test. In everyday use, the test consumption finally leveled off at 7.5 liters.
For technology enthusiasts who enjoy alternative solutions, the e-power drive may be an alternative. For the lion’s share, however, it is advisable to make a decision in favor of a pure combustion engine or a real electric vehicle before buying.
IM TEST: Nissan Qashqai e-Power
Crossover with petrol-electric drive. 1.5 liter petrol engine (116 kW/158 hp), electric motor (140 kW/190 hp), standard consumption 5.4 l (122 g CO2/km), in the test: 7.5 l. Price: from 46,097 euros, test car: 51,771 euros.
What likes:
The courage to actually build the curious drive.
What I don’t like:
The artificially adjusted engine speed.
What surprises:
How little the drive is noticeable in practice.
Perfect for:
E-car fans without access to electricity.
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