Qashqai's e-Power hybrid option cancels need for plug-in variant, Nissan says

Nissan will not offer a plug-in hybrid version of its new Qashqai despite the rising numbers of competitors offering the drivetrain in Europe's key compact SUV segment.

"There is definitely no intention to bring any plug-in hybrid on this Qashqai generation," Arnaud Charpentier, the automaker's Europe product marketing boss, told journalists during an online discussion following the reveal of the third-generation model.

Nissan instead will offer a hybrid lineup starting with mild hybrid and next year adding a full-hybrid called e-Power.

Nissan's success in transferring its e-Power drivetrain from its smaller Japanese models convinced it that it did not need an alternative electrified option that could be plugged in.

"We made such big improvement with this powertrain that we decided that a PHEV (plug-in hybrid electric vehicle) wouldn't bring real benefit to the customer," Charpentier said, adding that a PHEV would be "much more expensive."

Compact SUVs were Europe's biggest segment for plug-in hybrids in the first seven months of 2020 with sales of just over 90,000, figures from market analyst JATO Dynamics show.

The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV was the top-seller, followed by the plug-in hybrid version of the Ford Kuga. Compact SUVs from Stellantis brands also offer PHEV versions, including the Peugeot 3008, Citroen C5 Aircross and Opel/Vauxhall Grandland X.

Last year's best-selling compact SUV, the VW Tiguan, began offering a plug-in hybrid starting in December, while the new Hyundai Tuscon also offers a plug-in hybrid as well as a full hybrid.

Nissan however decided to target investment on e-Power rather that include a plug-in hybrid, despite the tax advantages the drivetrain offers due to CO2 levels that often fall below 50g grams per km, the head of Nissan in Europe, Gianluca de Ficchy, said in a separate interview.

"You can't invest in everything everywhere. You have to make choices," he said. "Our choice is that we want to provide mild hybrid and leverage something that is unique [e-Power]"

The e-Power model uses a 1.5-liter gasoline engine to directly charge an on-board battery which powers a motor that drives the wheels. This is known as a 'series' set-up in which the engine does not directly power the wheels. The drivetrain differs from 'parallel' hybrids sold by rival Toyota, in which the engine can power the wheels directly in some situations.

Nissan will offer an EV-only model in the compact SUV segment when it launches the Ariya crossover. The company also sells the Leaf compact electric car, which helps it offset the higher CO2 of a full hybrid compared to a plug-in hybrid.

Charpentier said the Qashqai's e-Power model will be front-wheel-drive only but an all-wheel-drive version is "completely doable." 

"E-Power is evolutive," he said "It's not just one-shot. It will become a clear pillar of strategy for the coming generation of our cars."

Charpentier said he hoped the beginning of sales in June for the Qashqai would see the model pass the VW Tiguan in the compact SUV charts in Europe, after the VW passed Nissan to become the segment's biggest selling model, according to JATO figures.