Nissan has unveiled details of its new e-Power drivetrain which will be fitted to the Nissan Note. The e-Power drivetrain combines a high-output battery to power the wheels, with a small gasoline engine that recharges it when necessary.
The system helps to eliminate the need to recharge and plug in when you get home or are out on the road as instead you'll be able to fill up at a fuel station to power the regular engine.
It differs from other hybrid cars in that others have an electric motor and an engine, but the engine is used to power the wheels at high speeds or when the battery level is low.
Nissan has also been able to produce a battery with more power than the one in the Leaf, but smaller in size, something it says the automotive industry as a whole has been trying to figure out for some time.
Because it's just the electric motor that drives the wheels, power is delivered instantly and it gives out zero emissions. And as the engine is only occasionally used to recharge the battery, it can match conventional hybrid cars when it comes to fuel efficiency.
Nissan has said the new e-Power drivetrain system will be used in the upcoming Note car, which will make it the "first mass-produced compact segment car ever to be equipped with a series hybrid system".