What is Nissan e-POWER?

Nissan’s e-POWER powertrain combines a small-displacement petrol engine with an electric motor or motors (one in Nissan QASHQAI e-POWER, two in Nissan X-TRAIL e-POWER) to offer a smooth, quiet and responsive EV-like driving experience, but not in the same way as conventional hybrid vehicles.

Where most have what is termed a parallel hybrid set-up – in that both the combustion engine and electric motor are both able to power the wheels – Nissan’s e-POWER flips the script and uses the petrol engine solely as an on-board power station. This is called a series hybrid.

This means that the petrol engine in e-POWER is not connected to the driving wheels and acts independently only to replenish the high-voltage lithium-ion battery pack, which then provides power to the electric drive motors.

Essentially, Nissan e-POWER (available in select X-TRAIL and QASHQAI models) affords a driving experience similar to a full EV, with effortless acceleration, quiet operation, and the surefooted handling delivered by e-4ORCE – Nissan’s electric-drive four-wheel-control technology which can respond up to 10,000 times per second, constantly adapting to changing conditions and tricky terrain.

Discover more about Nissan X-TRAIL e-Power