Nissan ePower - Good or Evil?

38987 Views 139 Replies 25 Participants Last post by McPhee, 5 mo ago

proddick

Discussion Starter · May 8, 2018 (Edited)

I guess it is inevitable that Nissan will introduce their "ePower" serial-hybrid tech into Europe, to compete with Toyota hybrids. They can even do the same "No need to plug in" advertising

Is more hybrid choice (non plug in) good or evil? Or something in the middle?

Incidentally, I get annoyed when the press use REX to describe a car powered 100% by petrol. Talk about confusing the public - "Ooh the Nissan REX is much cheaper than the BMW i3"

Nissan to END Diesel car sales in UK and Europe | Cars UK

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Spiny

· #43 · Jul 2, 2018

This should give folks their first taste of a seamless transmission, the electric drive we all like. Once bitten few go back to box of noisy cogs.
The edrive should be the forerunner of a raft of larger battery plug in varients at least I hope so bringing phevs and BEV's down to affordable levels.

My 2pence

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Spiny

· #105 · 8 mo ago

In theory as the ICE engine can be run at its most efficient and using something like the Atkinson cycle this should be more efficient than a pure ICE of the same size.
Where I think they have missed the boat is putting in a larger battery and a plug, this would then be serial hybrid with a range extender... Now where did I see some of those?

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Spiny

· #108 · 8 mo ago

RuralEV said:
You are assuming that people act logically. Few of the people buying one of these will have tried a pure BEV and found it unsuitable. Most will just be remaining with ICE based on cost and ignorance.

Toyota's advertising is clearly working - changing the cycle type is only a small part of gaining efficiency, and arguably a small highly boosted engine (Ford Ecoboost for example) is better. But this is confusing the steady state efficiency of steady cruising with the reality of short distance stop-start motoring which is most people's reality most of the time. Then you need to look at the efficiency of warming up the ICE and cat along with the energy recovery of a small battery hybrid.

Looking back 10 years, the 1.4 corsa engine in the Ampera, running using a modified Atkinson cycle and only at a few setpoints is efficient. Bit weird to drive when the engine is in use as the engine speed has nout to do with the road speed and jumps from setting to setting depending on the electric power requirements.
The downside is you have no control of the engine so hypermiling is not really on and you are in the lap of the designers on the efficiency, I normally get 50mpg once off the battery charge which for a 2ton car is not bad.

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Spiny

· #120 · 8 mo ago

One thing the E-Drive gives Nissen is the ability to scrap the gearbox/clutch of a normal car, probably saves a few yen there

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