On paper, the drivetrain will be similar to the one that powers the Chevrolet Volt and to the unit that’s offered as an option on the BMW i3. In short, it will consist of an electric motor, a battery pack, and a small-displacement gasoline-powered engine. In normal driving conditions, the electric motor will use energy stored in the battery pack to spin the front wheels. When the pack gets low, the range extender will automatically turn on and generate electricity, giving the car’s driving range a considerable boost.
There will be no connection between the engine and the drive wheels, it will act purely as a generator. In contrast, the engine and the electric motor are both capable of spinning the drive wheels (either separately or together) in a plug-in hybrid drivetrain.
Surprisingly, the yet-unnamed model will not be based on the Leaf, and Nissan openly admits it’s not planning on retrofitting the technology to the hatchback — at least not to the current-generation model. That means the range extender could be installed in a more eco-friendly version of an existing Nissan, or it could make its debut under the skin of a brand new model.
We won’t have to wait too long to find out which option Nissan has chosen because Yoshi Shimoida, the deputy manager of the company’s EV and HEV engineering division, told Australian website Motoring that the technology will be introduced next year.
Note: Nissan IDS concept pictured.
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