What It's Like Driving Nissan’s New E-Power Hybrid Coming to America

Nissan admits not having hybrids in its North American lineup is a mistake that needs to be remedied ASAP. Having only internal combustion engines or pure EVs, in hindsight, was a miscalculation. It is not as if Nissan doesn’t know how to make hybrids—it has assorted hybrids for sale in other parts of the world, and Alliance partner Mitsubishi has plug-in hybrid technology already on sale in America that can be tapped.

The goal is to close the gap on hybrids in the U.S. over the next 24 months. The fourth-generation Rogue compact SUV goes into production in 2026 and will finally bring Nissan's e-Power hybrid setup stateside in early 2027 with dual motors for all-wheel drive.

One challenge will be explaining to customers what e-Power is, and why they should care and shell out money for a Nissan equipped with it.

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So, What is Nissan E-Power?

E-Power is a series hybrid where the gasoline engine acts as a generator, recharging the battery that feeds the electric motor that powers the wheels—the engine is not linked to the wheels. Unlike most hybrids, e-Power is 100 percent electric drive. Honda's current hybrid tech comes closest to this idea, operating as a series hybrid most of the time in the Civic, Accord, and CR-V hybrids, but the gas engine can be clutched into a direct drive to assist the front wheels when the system deems it more efficient to do so (typically under wide-open throttle or higher speeds). Again, Nissan won't do that here, committing fully to the series action.

The third-generation system was engineered to be more refined with less noise, vibration, and harshness as well as being more fuel efficient, especially at highway speeds, with fewer emissions. Engineers say the third generation has a 15 percent improvement in fuel efficiency at high speeds and 9 percent better overall than the second generation e-Power setup available elsewhere in the world.

We had a chance to drive the current second-generation e-Power system in a Nissan Qashqai (the equivalent of the subcompact Rogue Sport no longer offered here, as it is known outside the U.S.) and to compare it with the new third-generation system, also in a Qashqai prototype. The engine acting as the generator is a 1.5-liter turbocharged inline-three calibrated specifically for its role in the e-Power powertrain. It is different from the engine in the second generation and is part of a “five in one” system that combines the motor, battery, inverter, generator, and engine in one chassis, in a package that is slightly smaller and weighs less. Fewer parts also reduce cost.

The thermal management helps ensure the car is always trying to operate in the most efficient zone and stay in that state for a longer period of time—crucial for highway driving economy.

Nissan says the new system was engineered to drive like an EV—from which e-Power was initially derived, with instant and steady torque as opposed to a hybrid with peppy initial acceleration from, say, a small electric motor assisting the gas engine, then a slight lag as the torque fill from that small motor dies off, and then a power boost as the small gas engine picks up steam. The goal here was to eliminate delayed, non-linear, or otherwise unpleasant acceleration like other hybrids. Again, this is an area in which the Honda hybrid setup excels, as most of the time it's operating much the same way, with smooth, EV-like takeoffs and motivation around town, the engine purring away quietly in the background.

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Driving the Latest E-Power Hybrid System

On our 2.3-mile drive at a Nissan test facility, we found the sensation of driving e-Power still feels like a hybrid, but it was not a bad thing as the transition was smooth and almost seamless. If we did not know better, we would have assumed the post-takeoff boost was the engine giving the wheels a bit more power.

In the second generation, there is the noticeable sound of acceleration from the powertrain. It was much quieter in the third generation which houses the powertrain in a more rigid structure. It is so much quieter that you become aware of road noise.

The current generation also felt a bit harsh on rough pavement. Here again, there is a distinct change. The new e-Power is much more refined over rough patches, feeing both stable and comfortable, with less vibration coming from the powertrain or the body of the vehicle. The solidity helped make it feel nimbler, as well.

The new system was engineered to cancel out as much vibration and noise as possible, with motor control to respond instantly and smoothly to acceleration input without vibration. Effort was also put into a smoother ride, for less dive and squat, especially in snow or on loose surfaces. The motor counters that in milliseconds for a flat drive that does not sink into the snow, says Shunichi Inamijima, corporate vice president of powertrain and EV engineering division.

There was a bit of body roll in the Qashqai, which is almost welcome: you feel like you are driving. The steering was a bit heavy in the Qashqai, unchanged in both the new and old cars.

We think that, with some refinements and perhaps a little more power, this e-Power system could slot nicely into the one-size-up Rogue, which is a popular SUV here in America (and the current version is our number-one-ranked compact SUV, even on the eve of its replacement and without hybrid power). The Rogue will be the first Nissan to bring e-Power to the U.S. but not the last. Expect it to roll out to other models, likely smaller ones like the Nissan Murano and next-generation Sentra, as opposed to something like the three-row Pathfinder because the system is not ideal for vehicles that are used for towing.