Nissan E-Power hybrid tech could feature in Navara and Patrol; exec claims “we do not plan to come back” to diesel

Nissan claims its E-Power hybrid system is compatible with different architectures, including four-wheel drives.

Touted as the “pinnacle” of 4WD technology, the company said its E-Power hybrid and e-4orce all-wheel-drive systems could be scaled up – potentially for use in the Nissan Navara and Patrol, amongst others.

The brand's unique E-Power setup features a petrol engine acting as a generator for the vehicle's electric motors, rather than directly sending power to the wheels like a traditional hybrid.

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Nissan declined to comment on future product plans – including whether we could see a hybrid Navara or Patrol, and what petrol engines could be used – but said the components and elements seen on its E-Power system can be deployed across the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance’s platforms.

The latest-generation Nissan Qashqai and X-Trail are based on the monocoque CMF-C platform and will offer E-Power hybrid technology in Australia from early 2023 – headlined by the standard e-AWD system on the X-Trail.

“For Qashqai and X-Trail as you mentioned, [E-Power] has been developed for the CMF-C platform ... in Japan, [E-Power is used] on a different platform [the Note hatch] and in different components,” said Adam Robertson, a lead engineer for the E-Power program, speaking with Australian media this week.

"Ultimately the technology is scalable. E-Power as a concept is scalable.”

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A new Nissan Navara ute developed alongside the forthcoming Mitsubishi Triton is expected in 2025, while rumours have pointed to a redesigned Patrol gaining a twin-turbo petrol V6, replacing the current 5.7-litre naturally-aspirated petrol V8.

Robertson suggested Nissan’s E-Power technology and electronic AWD system are superior to a conventional 4WD setup, with instant power from the electric motors, potentially allowing for the off-roading prowess typically associated with a Navara or Patrol.

“There’s no reason at all why not. The torque response for electric motors is instant; one ten-thousandth of a second is incredibly quick. I always liken it back to being 10 times faster than the stopwatch used in Formula One. It's incredibly fast; you're not going to get any quicker,” he said.

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"And it means you've got ... [a] permanent all-wheel-drive system, so you apply torque wherever you want at any time. Of course, that is the pinnacle, and you can use that in other applications as well.

"I wouldn't comment on any future plans on any other models. But obviously, this technology offers some very, very strong benefits."

A diesel-powered version of the E-Power technology was effectively ruled out, at least for the European market, where diesel engines are being phased out across Nissan’s line-up with declining sales and looming emissions regulations.

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“At the moment we are going out of the diesel offer, generally speaking,” said Ilya Deminov, a regional product planner at Nissan Europe.

“We do not plan to come back, so we are constantly now removing our diesel offerings from the portfolio.”

Representatives for Nissan Australia quickly pointed out the difference in demand for diesel between the Australian and European markets, solely dominated locally by the only remaining vehicle still offered with a diesel engine, the top-selling Navara ute.

"What we've said for Europe, and obviously Europe is quite a specific market, is that our current investment in this diesel technology for Europe is basically at an end. We've got the ambition that in Europe [we are] moving towards electrified-only powertrains from 2030," added Robertson.

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"We're well aware that obviously ... India, Middle East and [Australia and New Zealand], the customer expectations around powertrains vary wildly, and rolling in their different status of being ready for electrification. So it's [an] incredibly complex subject that our product planning teams have to face.

“There’s the challenge of how much do we force our customers to go in a certain direction, but how much do they sort of compel us to go in a certain direction, and there’s a challenge that we face.

“That’s what we’re wrestling with.”