A fresh set of Nissan Note e-Power’s spy shots captured in India has surfaced on the web, courtesy our friend Bunny Punia.
The Nissan Note e-Power’s electric drive system holds the potential solution for making electrified vehicles mainstream in India. It features the old Nissan Leaf’s EM57 electric motor that generates 109 PS and 254 Nm of torque. There’s a small 1.5 kWh battery to run this electric motor. Charge cycles are very short, as the battery capacity is much smaller than in a conventional EV. However, there’s no need to put the car in charging for long hours. There’s no range anxiety either.
In addition to the electric motor, there’s a petrol engine, the HR12DE 1.2-litre three-cylinder unit in the Nissan Note e-Power’s case. It is used only for charging the battery. This way, there’s no need for external charging, something potential EV customers in a country like ours where there’s limited charging infrastructure will highly appreciate. e-Power technology is very efficient. The engine is not connected to the wheels, and it operates in its optimum condition. The Nissan Note e-Power has a fuel economy rating (JC08 test cycle) of 37.2 km/l.
Also See: Nissan Serena e-Power at the 2017 Tokyo Motor Show – Live
Nissan has shown interest in EV technology in India for years now. In 2011, the company had scheduled a brief media drive of the original Nissan Leaf in 2011 and showcased the car at Auto Expo 2012. Reports have said that the company plans to launch the Leaf to test the market for EVs but the company has admitted that it may not be the immediate solution for India.
Nissan has not announced plans to launch the Nissan Note e-Power in India. A 5-seat mini-MPV would have limited success in our market. Hence, the company may save the technology for another locally-manufactured, emerging market model.
[Image Source: bunnypunia.com]
