Nissan To Show Off Juke e-Power Concept (Series Hybrid) At This Year’s Tokyo Auto Show
Nissan will be showing off its new Juke e-Power concept at this year’s Tokyo Auto Show. The Juke-Power is a series hybrid like the popular (in Japan) Note e-Power production model.
As the Tokyo Auto Show doesn’t begin until the autumn, it’ll still be quite a while before the Nissan Juke e-Power concept gets its debut, but there are a number of things that we can likely infer at this point.
Interestingly, the concept will apparently feature an exterior based on the Gripz SUV-style concept rather than the now 7 years old Juke iteration that is for sale at the moment.
Car & Driver provides more:
“The concept also will feature an unusual hybrid powertrain borrowed from the Note e-Power production subcompact. Launched late last year in Japan, the e-Power is a series hybrid that pairs a 1.2-liter three-cylinder gasoline engine with a power generator and inverter, which gets its electricity from using the engine as a generator for the car’s electric motor. What’s interesting about this new powertrain is that, despite effectively being an electric car with a gasoline generator, it doesn’t have the option of being recharged from the grid, as it has no plug-in port. Instead, it relies wholly on the engine for electricity.
“While this may seem strange given the proliferation of plug-in hybrids such as the Chevrolet Volt and the Toyota Prius Prime, this new system doesn’t have much battery to charge. The battery pack will be around 1/20 the size of that in the Leaf. The main advantage here is that the battery doesn’t intrude on interior space, since it’s neatly packaged underneath the front seats. It may not have the zing of an out-and-out sports car, but this Juke concept should have the instantaneous response of an electric vehicle. Expect a price of around $20,000, when the Juke e-Power eventually reaches the market.”
It’s an open question at this point whether a production version of the Juke e-Power will make it to the US. It’s worth noting here, though, that the Note e-Power hasn’t been released in the US (as of yet anyways). But this may not be all that relevant, as the Juke is rather popular in the US.
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