Japan's troubled automaker Nissan banks on hybrid EV technology
[May 27, 2025] By
YURI KAGEYAMA
YOKOSUKA, Japan (AP) — Money-losing Japanese automaker Nissan is banking
on its latest “e-Power” technology for a turnaround.
A kind of hybrid, e-Power comes equipped with both an electric motor and
gasoline engine, much like the Toyota Motor Corp. Prius. It’s different
from a Prius in that it doesn’t switch back and forth between the motor
and engine during the drive.
That means the car always is running on its EV battery, ensuring a
quiet, smooth ride.
“Nissan has a proud history of pioneering innovative technology that set
us apart,” Chief Technology Officer Eiichi Akashi told reporters on the
sidelines of a test drive at its Grandrive course outside Tokyo.
The advantage of e-Power vehicles is that they never need to be charged
like EVs do. The owner just fuels up at a gas station and the car never
runs out of a charge.
Nissan Motor Corp., which racked up a $4.5 billion loss for the fiscal
year through March, sorely needs a hot-seller, especially in the
lucrative North American market. But the U.S. market is proving a big
headache for all the Japanese automakers because of President Donald
Trump’s tariff policies.
To achieve a turnaround, Nissan is working on reducing costs,
strengthening business partnerships and redefining its lineup. That's
where e-Power fits in, according to Akashi.
Yokohama-based Nissan announced earlier this month that it’s slashing
about 15% of its global work force, or about 20,000 employees, and
reducing the number of its auto plants to 10 from 17, under an ambitious
recovery plan led by its new Chief Executive Ivan Espinosa.
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Reporters try out Nissan’s e-Power electrification technology on the
current Qashqai model at the company’s Grandrive facility in
Yokosuka, Japan, outside Tokyo, Monday, May 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Yuri
Kageyama)
 Nissan officials did not give a
price for the upcoming e-Power models. The one other automaker that
offers a similar technology is “kei,” or tiny car, manufacturer
Daihatsu Motor Co.
E-Power is already offered on the Nissan Qashqai and X-Trail model
in Europe, and the Note in Japan. The upgraded version will be
offered in the new Rogue in the U.S.
Nissan, a pioneer in EVs with its Leaf, which went on sale in 2010,
is also preparing beefed up EV models. It's also working on a
solid-state battery which is expected to replace the lithium-ion
batteries now widely used in hybrids, EVs and e-Power models.
Analysts say Nissan is in danger of running out of cash and needs a
partner. Speculation is rife its Yokohama headquarters building will
get sold, or one of its Japan plants will be turned into a casino.
Nissan started talks last year with Japanese rival Honda Motor Co.
for a business integration but announced in February that it was
dropping the talks.
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