2023 Nissan Qashqai E-Power Review [It's an EV with a Petrol Engine!]

Check out my review from the European Media Launch in Sweden of the new 2023 Nissan Qashqai E-Power with an all-new extended-range style hybrid drive system which features a petrol engine aboard that acts as a power generator to charge the battery. The car is driven solely by the electric motor, however there is a very clever management of sound that simulates the feel of driving a petrol car under hard acceleration while peddling an EV most of the time.
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Brown Car Guy
#car #cars #carblogger #carjournalism #motoring #automotive #carinfluencer #carguru #carguy #review #carreview #hybrid #suv #nissan #nissanev #newcar #firstdrive #medialaunch #electriccar #ev #nissanqashqai #nissanqashqai2022 #nissanqashqaiepower #qashqaiepower #epower #rangeextender

[@Sommerchan]

The best review of the Nissan Qashqai e-power, right on the button, no BS no jargons, simply pure to the point informations. Thank you so much.

[@BrownCarGuy]

So very kind of you to say. Glad you found it useful! 🙏🏽☺️

[@steveing9980]

Today I drove the e power really impressed with the quickness away from the traffic lights and the smooth ride , look this car isn't for the boy racer its a practice car that ticks the boxes, yes if you drive a lot of motorways I would imagine you won't get 50 miles per gallon, by you live in a lot of boroughs around London 20mph you will be getting well over 50mpg and this is the car for me, great video for once you didn't mention scratchy plastics or size bottle bays.

[@mohammedalgheryafi7784]

Wow.... Haven't seen you in ages. Good to see you again. 🌹

[@BrownCarGuy]

After Motoring Middle East?

[@mohammedalgheryafi7784]

@@BrownCarGuy yep

[@BrownCarGuy]

@@mohammedalgheryafi7784 thanks so much for joining me here. Please browse around, lots of content on here. Hope you enjoy it! 🙏🏽☺️

[@MRT.1977]

Great video 👍👍

[@BrownCarGuy]

Thank you 👍

[@devenair681]

Just ordered one. 👍👍 Nice review. We were converted to hybrids about 11 years ago starting off with a Prius. Our current car is the Hyundai Ioniq which is a better car in our opinion. We wanted something a little bigger and a few months back we saw the ePower. Had to wait a while to get a demo test drive and were really impressed. It should hopefully be here in about a month. (UK) 👍👍

[@BrownCarGuy]

Congrats! Enjoy! Thanks for leaving a comment 🙏🏽

[@attilab.2818]

Why did you choose this, over a Toyota Rav4 or Lexus NX?

[@GbMuthu]

The engine raises not as a stimulation. During such a run the battery is bypassed and energy is channeled directly to the motor through capacitors. Which reduces both battery storage losses and battery size.

[@BrownCarGuy]

I confirmed with the engineers that the engine is deliberately tuned modulated to simulate drive engine noise.

[@GbMuthu]

@@BrownCarGuy that's sad. I was hoping so much that it be capacitors at work. If it is just for stimulation, might as well use the cars sound system. Like many EVs are doing. ICEs can be twice as efficient in fixed RPM. To ruin it just for stimulation is silly.

[@davem9208]

I will hopefully be ordering mine tomorrow,. delivery date est 9th May

[@BrownCarGuy]

Congrats!

[@davem9208]

@@BrownCarGuy Thank you. Just got back. Ordered car and it's due 19th May. Can't wait.

[@Raw-Coffee-Bean]

I regularly achieve an average mpg of over 60 miles per gallon. The most efficient way to achieve that figure is to drive in D + Eco mode. Many people just drive the e-Power in E-pedal D+Eco. That is why they fail to get better mpg figures. There are multiple drive modes available. Maximum regeneration is achieved in E-Pedal but there's also D+B Eco, or Standard and Sport. Each option alters the amount of regeneration. For example on a long downhill run, D+Eco will give minimal regeneration but if you change to D+Standard you will gain more regeneration without losing excessive speed. If you are not getting at least 50 mpg it's your driving style that is the problem not the car. Clever use of the available drive modes will give excellent returns. Ps, the engine has variable compression to improve efficiency. The battery is twice the size of the battery used in the Toyota Hybrids. There's a lot of statements made in the comments that are totally untrue.

[@BrownCarGuy]

Great info - thanks!

[@muffinnman]

Thanks, picked up my e-Power last week and the salesman advised me to keep it in e-Pedal, have been getting 38.5mpg, will try D+ Eco. Easy car to drive and very comfortable.

[@Raw-Coffee-Bean]

@muffinnman You are welcome. E-pedal is fine in town up to around 35mph. Out of town, I find the E-pedal holds the car back. Obviously, when you lift off in E-pedal, the car slows down significantly. To make progress, you have to keep your foot on the accelerator. Hence, increasing the use of battery power and fuel. When in D+Eco, when you lift off the accelerator pedal, the cars forward momentum continues. Less use of both the battery and fuel. Using that simple method wisely will aid overall efficiency. Enjoy your E-power, happy motoring.

[@RomekStanek]

Great video. Do you know how big is the battery and can you plug in to charge at home? I own Nissan Leaf and I wish I could use my charger to minimize fuel consumption.

[@BrownCarGuy]

2.1kWh, it's not a Plug-In. Full review here browncarguy.com/2022/07/11/023-nissan-qashqai-e-power-review/

[@DaveDVideoMaker]

I want Nissan to do an AWD version of the Kaškaj e-Power. Big shame there’s no AWD version in the Kaškaj e-Power unlike the Toyota Corolla Cross hybrid.

[@SchrodingersPuss]

What's a Kaškaj?

[@DaveDVideoMaker]

@@SchrodingersPuss Qashqai. Spelt in a different way.

[@stephenberry1205]

Under heavy acceleration the motor is providing juice direct to the electric drive motor because the battery is not big enough to provide the full power needed for strong acceleration. Different to a range extender. In Australia an island the size of the Continental USA with modest to sparse fast chargers and large distances between major cities and towns this EV makes a lot of sense. Single pedal driving experience, major regen brakes, no conventional gear box or CVT or auto, no range anxiety. My sort of EV experience. Better solution than conventional hybrid of when plug in hybrids are not practical. Should sell well.

[@BrownCarGuy]

Great comment. Thanks!

[@waynej6845]

Does anyone have any idea of what the cost of the replacement battery will be?

[@attilab.2818]

No idea but Toyota/Lexus have 15 years hybrid warranty for all components, including the traction battery.

[@aussieideasman8498]

John Codogan has reviewed the drive train tech and is not happy with it, saying energy losses mean the car can be driven vigorously enough to tax it beyond reliability. I am not so bothered, since Nissan warranty it for 5 years and It's not the sort of car one would punt too often. He's worth watching, though.

[@BrownCarGuy]

Yeah this is not a car that will be driven hard too often 😉

[@johnkeepin7527]

It appears to be a direct electric transmission petrol powered one, without the electro/mechanical hybrid setup that Toyota uses (and maybe others as well, but I’m familiar with Toyota hybrid transmission). Given a nearby comment about efficiency, one suspects that the absence of the planetary gear arrangement in the T models leads to reduced efficiency, although it does simplify the mechanics a bit. Incidentally, the engine size looks almost the same as the Toyota one in the current Yaris & Yaris Cross models. The latter would be a reasonable comparison. At the end of the day, the real issue would be drag coefficient and the rolling resistance of the tyres used.

[@attilab.2818]

Hey John, What do you think about this hybrid system compare to Toyota/Lexus's? What would be the benefit of changing my Lexus NX 300h for this?

[@Raw-Coffee-Bean]

Direct drive from the electric motor. Surely, there will be fewer efficiency losses than through a conventional drive train. Less friction for a start. You mentioned planetary gears. Where are they located? There are no planetary gears in a gearbox. Planetary gears are located in the final drive unit, more commonly referred to as the differential. Although the Qashqai e-Power doesn't have a gearbox it does have a final drive unit, unless I am very much mistaken!

[@mala5914]

If it doesn’t average 70-80 mpg (mixed driving) then what’s the point?

[@Raw-Coffee-Bean]

How many petrol/diesel cars return 70 to 80 mpg mixed driving? Perhaps a 1.0 litre Yaris might but then that's a significantly smaller car!

[@aleksejsivanovs6539]

What is real petrol consumption??

[@BrownCarGuy]

This was a media drive, so can't give you a real world figure at this time. Sorry.

[@Raw-Coffee-Bean]

I regularly get an average 62.4 mpg, real-world driving

[@bigdoggy6650]

Qashqai for me please

[@attilab.2818]

What would be the benefit of changing my Lexus NX 300h for this?

[@BrownCarGuy]

The Lexus is a great car. No need to change unless you're having problems with it.

[@attilab.2818]

@@BrownCarGuy thanks for your quick response. I'm just curious how the drive train and hybrid system performs compare to a Lexus/Toyota who are in the hybrid business for 30 years.

[@BrownCarGuy]

@@attilab.2818 This is completely different kind of drivetrain - it's a series hybrid, a range-extender as it's otherwise known. So the petrol engine never directly drives the wheel, hence the driving experience is more like a fully electric car.

[@mrmuds8624]

I think it all comes down to what sort of MPG someone is able to achieve from this. I don't see how it can be more efficient than the old 1.5 diesel that they discontinued with this new Quashqai.

[@mujtabashah3667]

Plus the diesel engine is proven to last longer, and is infinitely more repairable than this epower.

[@Lucaat]

seems like hondas ehev system

[@BrownCarGuy]

It’s similar indeed, but the engine sound isn’t as well matched.

[@LocksmithSteve]

I worry that with all these extra bits, will the, (petrol engine, generator, inverter, electric drive motor, and the tiny battery) be a reliable and long lasting system. Too many components to go wrong I think, and an over complicated propulsion system. I've just ordered the 2023 1.3ltr turbo petrol Qashqai, non Hybrid. That will do me till either fully electric or hydrogen engines have become reliability tested.

[@attilab.2818]

If you're worried about reliability, then you should've gone for a Toyota/Lexus hybrid with 15 years hybrid components warranty and 10 years general. Don't forget, Toyota have 30 years hybrid experience. I don't see the point buying a regular internal combustion engine car, especially with a turbo charger, not to mention the downsizing.

[@Raw-Coffee-Bean]

What extra bits? There's no gearbox! That's one less component than the Toyota Hybrid. The drive train is significantly less complicated than the Toyota. It isn't that difficult to get your head round. Is it the future? I think it's a stepping stone towards the future. Fast, efficient, clean public transport is probably the future! Personal transport will probably only be accessible by the rich! Are you sure the 2023 Qashqai is available as a non hybrid? Pretty sure it isn't!

[@ram64man]

It should be a phev version- as this is still classed as a 1.5 euro 6b so won’t get you out of congestion charges , this is basically a glorified stock Prius ,mits closest equivalent the Honda jazz which uses a smaller system

[@Raw-Coffee-Bean]

It doesn't incur charges in ULEZ? Certainly not in the UK to the best of my knowledge.

[@ram64man]

@@Raw-Coffee-Bean ther are plans to push this model out of the free zone come 27 see road map tfl

[@Raw-Coffee-Bean]

@@ram64man We won't have the car by then. I think the way things are moving personal transport will be consigned to history. Public transport will be the normal. If there are vehicles for personal use they'll probably be similar to the electric bike schemes. Drive to your destination, park up and pick up the next available car when required. No doubt all controlled by an app on your phone or a chip in your head!

[@baronsilverbaron757]

Saying the petrol engine doesn't drive the wheels is a big fat lie. The battery is so small it doesn't really add much. The petrol engine is mainly bypassing the battery and going through the inverter to power the electric motor.

[@BrownCarGuy]

It's not directly connected to the drive wheels as in a regular car.

[@baronsilverbaron757]

@@BrownCarGuy The petrol engine still drives the wheels because the battery is far too small to do anything except a few minutes. When you put your foot down the electricity produced by the engine goes straight to the electric motor driving the wheels.

[@GbMuthu]

@@baronsilverbaron757 Not a bad thing. The electric motor through its seamless torque pulse frequency is able to replace the torque converter and multi speed gearbox to cope during the torque challenged regions of the ICE. Maybe the differential too. Ohm's law might be able to govern the torque vectoring. The real damage is having an ICE onboard and not being able to take full advantage of it. An electric motor cannot settle at a lower RPM during cruising speeds like an ICE can. Series hybrids are therefore not as efficient as parallel hybrids where the ICE is also mechanically connected to the wheels. Toyota's 1.5 litre 3 pot parallel hybrid mill returns 33km/L while this might be able to do about 23Km/L at best. This inspite of its smaller engine.

@@baronsilverbaron757 The petrol engine does not drive the wheels. The petrol engine produces electricity that controler can send to the battery or directly to the motor. Wheels are always and only driven by electric motor. This basically isn't hybrid. It's a electric car with a range extender. Albeit very small battery and normal sized fuel tank.

[@baronsilverbaron757]

@ " directly to the motor." Nearly all of the time the the petrol engine engine is running to send electricity "directly to the motor" Which means the petrol engine is running the car. So with the losses converting the petrol to electricity you have a loss of power and range than if the petrol engine was driving the car without the electric motor. A waste of energy. .

[@thomasv.schafenberg6604]

Sorry to say this, but the "presenter" has very little knowledge of the e-power set-up. All in all, the e-power is a very interesting car, although the fuel consumption is not als low as is presented. Interested persons will probably enjoy the driving comfort and the quietness. But this e-power concept is good for city cruising and not for long distance driving. Maybe so in the US, but in countries with no speed limit the limited top speed of 170 km/h is contra productive.

[@Raw-Coffee-Bean]

We use our Qashqai for short and long haul journeys. Currently, our average mpg is 62.4 mpg. Sadly, I don't know how to post an image that proves that. The most economic way to drive the car is in D+Eco and lift and coast when possible. There's so little regeneration in D+Eco that you lose very little speed, particularly if there's a downhill gradient. Clever use of the available driving modes rewards intelligent driving. The idea is not new. I believe there were Diesel Electric trains. The diesel element of the train was just used to power a generator, which in turn drove the electric motors that powered the train. Obviously, modern tech management controls the system.

[@mathysdupreez602]

In reality it is more of a “petrol-electric” with some minor brake energy recuperation than a proper hybrid - given the tiny 2.1kW/h battery… Does not sound terribly efficient to me either: Engine drives generator at circa 90% efficiency, generator drives inverter at again 90%-95% efficiency, electric drive motor converts electrical energy at again about 90% efficiency, charging system charges battery at 90% efficiency which, when needed is converted to mechanicsl energy at 90% efficiency. In the end, all that complexity and you have the same (probably more) driveline losses than a good conventional transmission. I dont get the logic, to be honest!

[@GbMuthu]

Or only 20KM/L efficiency. The part that puzzles me most is the use of an ICE complete with a flywheel. ICE is not connected to the wheels and so there is no need for rotational speed. To generate only current, Free Piston Linear Generator should be a lot more economical & compact.

[@hl954]

Instant torque from the electric motor. It a makes a lot of sense when you live in hilly countries, or when you try to over take at higher speed, it will be a lot smoother. I also saw other videos, the fuel assumption is almost the same Lexus hybrid , with the same power.

[@myloandadaminjapan]

The efficiency part comes from the ability of the computer to keep the engine at constant rpm, making inefficient accelerating the engine unnecessary. The engine can charge the battery at a constant rate, regardless of how you drive. Because most of our driving is done in stop and go traffic, this system makes a lot of sense

[@Raw-Coffee-Bean]

The Toyota battery is smaller at 1.6Kw! The average mpg quoted by Toyota is 50.3 mpg. I'm not sure your logic is particularly accurate. Nissan quotes up to 53.3 mpg for the Qashqai . If driven intelligently, the Qashqai can easily achieve figures in excess of 60 mpg. The fact there is no gearbox saves weight and complexity of the drive train. No CVT gearbox to ruin your day. Ultimately, it is a matter of choice. If you are happy with a 1.6Kw battery and a CVT gearbox with all its faults, buy the Toyota. There's no law that says you can't! Obviously, we are talking about the self charging Toyota, not the plug in Hybrid. Comparing apples with apples you might say.

[@theairstig9164]

I’ve got a bigger battery in my car for the starter

[@BrownCarGuy]

LOL

[@GbMuthu]

Micro hybrid launch control 😅‼️ Miss it fondly on newer start stop ignition.😔

[@robertpowell7672]

Nissan claims 53 MPG. Nissan's figures are generally around 20% above real world figures. (Honest John real MPG) 1.3 petrol Qashqai gets around 40 MPG. This gives the new car the same petrol consumption as the petrol only car.

[@occckid123]

Drive them on the same road and I bet the hybrid will demolish the 1.3. Also real city mileage for the petrol car is very low

[@mala5914]

My Quashqai 1.5 diesel automatic averages 55 mpg.

[@occckid123]

@@mala5914 where I live diesel is almost twice the price lol

[@Raw-Coffee-Bean]

I regularly average 62mpg with our e-power Qashqai. D+Eco mostly rural driving with a little urban driving thrown in. Just a question of efficient driving.

[@believeinjesusreadbiblerea5878]

​​@@Raw-Coffee-BeanHi so is good on petrol? I mean taking low petrol yes?

[@whocares264]

Ah, EV with a range extender without the benefit of the option of cheap clean home charging...

[@BrownCarGuy]

Transitional tech, even Nissan believe that.

[@ParaBellum2024]

This technology makes no sense at all. They're converting chemical energy (from petrol) to kinetic energy, heat energy and sound energy, which is exactly what my standard car does, with the kinetic energy going straight to the wheels. Nissan, however, convert the kinetic energy to electrical energy, then back to kinetic energy. The fuel consumption is about the same as my car. What's the point? As long as petrol's available, then my car will work just fine. If it becomes unavailable, then this will affect the Nissan just the same as it'll affect me.

[@Raw-Coffee-Bean]

Good luck, you really need it! Clearly, you don't understand the concept, and you've never driven an e-power. It's a transitional technology. It's a step between a full EV and ICE technology. It will be relatively short-lived. Meanwhile, it does improve on both Hybrid technology and ICE technology.

[@ParaBellum2024]

@@Raw-Coffee-Bean How exactly does it improve on those technologies, Oliver? I suspect its carbon footprint will be higher than that of my simple car, and its running costs will be no lower. I'd also bet that its purchase price will be higher, and that it'll weigh more, so its tyres will not last as long, and their replacements will cost more.

[@Raw-Coffee-Bean]

@X2323X Well, we had a VW T Roc, and we got 47mpg on average. We now have the Qashqai e-Power and regularly achieve 62mpg on average in a larger car. Clearly, we have reduced our emissions. Surely, that is an improvement, or am I completely wrong? It is a transitional technology. The charging network for a full EV is not sufficient. It will improve, but not for a number of years. The UK doesn't have enough generation capacity for today's demands. Personal transport is fast becoming a luxury that only the rich can afford. Our climate is on a knife edge. By 2030, you won't be able to buy a new ICE powered car. Any technology that helps reduce our impact must be worth the effort. Your simple car is less efficient and uses fewer recycled materials. Yes, the newer car has a lower carbon footprint than your current car. The 2.1Kw battery is significantly lighter than the battery in a plug-in hybrid. Tyre technology is also improving. There are airless tyres in development using different materials. Eventually, nobody will own a car, and public transport will become the only option. Probably not in my lifetime. If we all hang on to outdated ideas, we may not have a future. I am a qualified motor vehicle technician to national craftsmen standard. Technology has moved on leaps and bounds. Maybe EVs won't be the future. Maybe something totally new will come along. But ICE technology is fast approaching the end of production, even in hybrid form. Did you know the engine in the e-Power has a variable compression ratio? Increases efficiency. Your car doesn't have that, and it doesn't have variable valve timing. In terms of efficiency, your car is way behind current technologies. So, yeah, the modern cars certainly outperform your 15 year old Peugeot, by a long way. We can also assume your 15 year old car has covered around 150,000, so there will be significant wear, which means it won't be as efficient today as it was when new.

[@terrystephens1102]

This is another nothing-burger, no more efficient than its petrol powered model - the battery is not big enough to be the primary source - it relies on the generator to drive the car and the battery which runs on the petrol motor, pumping out carbon monoxide 😵

[@Pierrrrrrrrrrrrrrre]

Yeah it's one of these where the added weight + number of parts makes me wonder if this really improve mileage and durability...

[@richardmiller3998]

YOU dont know about the clever boot!!!!!!!

[@BrownCarGuy]

LOL - tell me!

[@richardmiller3998]

@@BrownCarGuy Noooo shant tell : )

[@BrownCarGuy]

@@richardmiller3998 🤦🏽‍♂️🤣

[@muffinnman]

You kick under the rear of the car (front to back not side to side) and the boot automatically opens and closes. Handy for people with their hands full or the disabled.@@BrownCarGuy