Nissan has been planning to launch the Note hatchback in India for quite some time. Earlier in 2017, an uncamouflaged Note e-Power model was spotted in the country, sitting in what looked like a company warehouse. However, a new set of images has now surfaced on the Internet, which shows the Nissan Note e-Power testing on public roads in India. This has pointed towards the possibility of Nissan India bringing the e-Power variant of the Note premium hatchback in the country.
It is worth noting that the recently spotted model doesn’t get the e-Power badges anywhere around the car. It only gets the Note model badge on the upper part of the tailgate and the Medalist variant name on the lower half. However, Nissan India officials have already confirmed that they are working on the Note e-Power for the domestic market. Hence, this is most like the test mule of the same technology, although missing the badges to avoid any unwanted attention.
The e-Power is essentially Nissan’s powertrain technology, where a small gasoline engine is used to charge a battery pack that sends power to an electric motor, which in turn powers the wheels. In the Note e-Power, a 1.2-litre petrol engine is expected to be used as a range-extender, which will be responsible for powering the electric motor. Output figures of the powertrain are likely to be around 108 bhp and 254 Nm.
Through such an architecture, Nissan is aiming to overcome the need to externally charge the battery pack of an all-electric car, which requires charging infrastructure across the country. The biggest hindrance to the growth of electric cars in India is the lack of such an infrastructure. Hence, Nissan is taking a bypass route for the time being through the Note e-Power.
It is worth noting that the Note hatchback with the e-Power technology will likely be able to deliver amazing fuel economy figures. Officially claimed mileage figures for the e-Power can go up to 40 km/l.
While all this does look promising, Nissan is expected to take its sweet share of time before launching the Note e-Power in India. The company has already been thinking about the e-Power technology for developing countries like India. However, it will need to comprehensively test the technology in Indian conditions to check its efficiency and viability in the domestic context. While we do hope the Note e-Power comes to India, rushing it in without proper research might not be a clever decision.
It is also worth noting that Suzuki also has a range-extender system for the Swift in its international markets. However, the same won’t likely be introduced in India anytime soon.
Spy Shots: Autocar India