When Nissan Philippines launched the Leaf EV a few years back, we loved that a mainstream brand finally had the balls courage to bring a battery-electric vehicle in the market. But, in a piece we wrote for the launch of the Note Aura in Japan, we shared that a hybrid makes much more sense in a country that does not have the charging infrastructure a full EV requires.

You see, the Japanese automaker launched a groundbreaking series-hybrid technology called the e-Power. Unlike Toyota’s parallel-hybrid system, the sole responsibility of the engine in a series-hybrid system is juicing up the batteries.

It is not connected to any of the drive wheels. It doesn’t have a complicated drivetrain. It is simple, efficient, and it just works.

The Kicks featured an improved version of e-Power, and is a widely successful crossover for NPI. However, new players like BYD have since launched more potent and fuel-efficient hybrids. 

Thankfully, Nissan has launched the third iteration of the system. But is this new version really better than the ones we have now?

Nissan believes so. For the upcoming Qashqai’s case, it will have a similar 1.5-liter turbocharged gasoline engine. But this adopts the automaker’s STARC combustion concept, which stabilizes in-cylinder combustion.

This not only improves thermal efficiency by 42%, but also cuts the noise produced by the power unit. It is also equipped with a bigger turbo, allowing it to make more power at lower engine speeds.

Nissan also removed the complicated variable compression ratio feature from the older engines, simplifying its design. The use of 0W16 oil reduces internal friction, and extends the service intervals by 5,000km (from 15,000 to 20,000).

These increased output by 15hp, while further maximizing the use of the 2.1kWh battery pack. There’s also a 16% improvement in fuel efficiency, extending range to 1,200km on a full tank of gasoline.

This new powertrain is set to arrive in Europe, Africa, and Oceania with the Qashqai in September this year. Then, the US-market Rogue and the Japan-market Elgrand (a good Alphard contender) will be fitted with this new system by next year.

So far, the new Kicks, which our market has yet to get, still has the second-gen version of the powertrain. We’re hoping the new X-Trail, which Nissan Philippines teased at last year’s PIMS, will get the third-gen e-Power instead.