
Nissan’s new hybrid is a U.S.-first that mixes EV driving with a gas engine
CNBC
Nissan plans to introduce a new type of hybrid for the U.S. market that drives like an all-electric vehicle but is powered by a traditional gas-powered engine.
Nissan Motor plans to introduce a new type of hybrid to the U.S. market that drives like an all-electric vehicle but is powered — not driven — by a traditional gas-powered engine.
The new Nissan "e-Power" is called a series hybrid. It uses the engine as a generator to power the vehicle's electric motors that then propel the vehicle. It operates like emerging extended-range electric vehicles, or EREVs, but has a smaller battery and doesn't require a plug.
It's also different from a traditional hybrid, such as the Toyota Prius, because the gas engine in those vehicles is used to propel the vehicle. The series hybrid's engine just keeps the battery charged to power the electric motors in the vehicles.













