A New Type of Hybrid Car

In 2023, we’re in the midst of an EV revolution. Every month new hybrid, electric, and even hydrogen powered cars join what has become one of the most competitive development battles in the motoring world.

This hasn’t happened by accident. New EU regulations will come into play in 2030 stating that no new petrol or diesel cars can be produced. It’s a case of electric or bust for most manufacturers.

The EV Arms Race

With every manufacturer creating EVs, it’s become a battle to see who creates the best cars. To stand out from the crowd, you need something special. Tesla have led the electric charge (apologies for the pun) for a long time, but Toyota always made the best hybrids. But one of Toyota’s biggest rivals has created something slightly different. More on that later, first let’s take a look at how traditional hybrids work.

How do Hybrid Engines Work?

Since their introduction in the early 00s, hybrid cars have always worked in a similar way.

They have two engines, one electric charged by EV charging points (sometimes with multiple motors) and one petrol. The idea is that you can use electric power day to day without the need to plug it in, as the petrol motor would charge up the batteries and help power the car as you drove. This meant that you had a very high MPG, and only needed to fill up every now and again.

As the technology improved, these systems became more efficient. The batteries could be charged up by braking as well, meaning less fuel burned every mile. The petrol engines also became smaller, meaning a lower weight and more space inside.

Soon manufacturers realised that hybrid systems could do more than just help save the planet; they could also get round it much faster.

Supercar brands like Ferrari and McLaren created hybrid cars that had astronomical power, and used the electric motors when the engines were the least efficient, such as when changing gear or setting off. Some of their hyper cars could also be driven on pure electric power, meaning they could zip around in silence. Modern F1 uses similar systems, creating the fastest cars in existence.

Nissan’s E Power Range

For a while, all hybrid systems worked this way, with different levels of efficiency and were either used for low emissions, faster lap times or sometimes both.

Enter Nissan. They’d provided the world with a few EVs and hybrids already but have recently wowed us all with their new e-POWER hybrid charging system.

They have combined a high-output battery with a small, turbocharged petrol engine. Sounds normal so far, until you find out that the engine acts as a generator for the motor and batteries and isn’t used to power the car.

This hybrid system is more efficient than existing hybrids, resulting in a better MPG, lower CO2 emissions and a smooth drive. The weight of some hybrids makes them sluggish on the roads, but e-POWER Nissans will feel light by comparison.

Nissan’s e-POWER system also boasts improved performance, meaning that their new hybrids will be a lot of fun to drive.

Disadvantages of Hybrids

Nissan’s new development will revolutionise the hybrid market, although it doesn’t fix a much bigger issue.

Hybrids are much more economical than a pure-petrol car, but they are still using petrol engines. The engines burn very little fuel, can’t deny that, but as that is finite resource it isn’t as future proof as a fully electric car.

The improved efficiency of e-POWER systems will reduce emissions, so Nissan deserves as much credit as we can offer. In the future, when no new petrol or diesel cars are being produced, we may see a reduction in hybrid production too. For now, a hybrid car is still the best of both worlds, and well worth considering if you are concerned about your carbon footprint but aren’t keen on pure electric.

The majority of Nissan e-POWER cars will be purchased via a car finance agreement, and they will be very popular. If you think a hybrid is right for you too, use the Match Me Finance Calculator to find trusted lenders and thousands of vehicles that will be perfect for you. It also NEVER affects your credit score, so you can find perfect cars and lenders in just a few clicks without ever harming your credit.