Nissan's ePower tech coming to U.S. vehicles

DETROIT — Startled by enthusiastic consumer demand for ePower in Japan last year, Nissan Motor Co. now plans to introduce the electric motor-powered technology to its vehicles in the U.S.

But unlike its Japanese application in the humble subcompact Note, Nissan will more likely use ePower here as an option on higher-end vehicles, said Philippe Klein, the automaker's chief planning officer, speaking to Automotive News on the sidelines of the Detroit auto show last week.

Klein did not say which Nissan brand products might receive ePower but suggested it will begin with higher-priced nameplates that can absorb the added cost of the powertrain.

Meanwhile, Klein's boss, Nissan CEO Hiroto Saikawa, told the Automotive News World Congress last week that Infiniti will begin offering ePower in the near future. Saikawa said ePower will play a key role in Infiniti's move to almost completely electrify its lineup starting in 2021.

Saikawa said that every Infiniti that appears in or after 2021 will either be a full electric vehicle or have an ePower powertrain.

The technology reached the market in Japan as a powertrain option on the Note in late 2016. But in 2017, its first full year of availability, it had a 65 percent take rate on the car, Klein said.

"Our strategy is to expand to other vehicles and to other markets," Klein said. "It's not only for small vehicles. We're going to go to bigger vehicles."

The system is essentially a range extender in which an electric motor propels the vehicle at all times. A battery provides the power for the motor. A gasoline engine is used to charge the battery when necessary.

The system delivers a fuel economy rating of about 77 mpg under Japan's testing protocol, which is not comparable to U.S. testing methods.

But Klein said fuel economy is only half the attraction to consumers. A second appeal is the powertrain's exhilarating acceleration, he said, which is something that will appeal to buyers of any vehicle.

"One part of it is the rational — lower gas costs. The other issue is emotional," he said. "The driving experience is very close to that of an electric vehicle. Contrary to a conventional hybrid, you have the smooth acceleration of an electric vehicle."

Klein said that ePower has helped Nissan increase the revenue generated by the Note, and also has allowed Nissan to reposition the Note in Japan as a more upscale model.

He added that Nissan believes the technology also provides an alternative to diesel powertrains in Europe.

The company is considering offering ePower there as regulations make it harder to sell diesel vehicles.

Its immediate benefit as a new source of fuel economy is not so clear for the U.S. market, he said. "But the benefits of being emotional and fun to drive might apply in the U.S. for some categories of vehicles," he said. "So it's part of the strategy."