When you think of an electric vehicle, you’re probably imagining a car that you plug in to charge. However, Nissan wants to shake things up with the Nissan Kicks e-Power, which charges its battery pack using an internal combustion engine.
Drive Smarter: Nissan models that earn over 38 mpg
How the system works
The Nissan Kicks e-Power uses its combustion engine to continuously recharge the battery while cruising. The combustion engine, which acts as a generator, is a 1.2-liter three-cylinder mill. This efficient little dynamo also powers the Nissan Micra, serving as a traditional combustion engine. Despite having a combustion engine, Nissan promises that the Kicks e-Power will provide a smooth, quiet ride. And since it’s a flex-fuel engine, you’ll be able to gas it up with renewable, low-emission fuel.
To squeeze even more range out of its battery pack, the Kicks e-Power will also take advantage of the energy from coasting, harnessing it into a regenerative braking system. And for an even easier driving experience, the Nissan Kicks e-Power will offer one-pedal driving.
While no fuel economy estimates currently exist for the Kicks e-Power, its smaller sibling, the Note e-Power, earns around 87 mpg.
The Ideal Commuter Car: The Nissan sedan lineup
Cost and availability
Photo: Nissan
The traditional combustion-powered Kicks starts at around $18,870, but if you opt for the top trim, you’ll pay about $21,120. The e-Power model is expected to cost about 17 percent more than the traditional ICE Kicks, so American buyers should expect to pay between $22,077 and $24,710 for this unorthodox EV. And with the federal tax credit, the Kicks e-Power would only cost $14,577. That is, if the model even makes its way stateside.
Currently, the Nissan Kicks e-Power is available in Japan, but it’s about to make its way to a few different international markets. Nissan will soon be marketing Kicks e-Power in Asia and Latin America. The Kicks e-Power is made in Brazil and is expected to hit the market in 2021.
Kimiko Kidd is a native Daytonian. She graduated from Wright State University with degrees in environmental science and sociology. She loves her trusty old Honda Civic, but dreams of owning a 1974 Ford Falcon XB with a custom paint job and a vintage Kawasaki Z1000. In her free time, Kimiko can be found watercolor-painting, baking muffins, collecting rocks, playing old-school Nintendo games, writing her novel, sewing stuffed animals, and cosplaying as her favorite Mad Max characters. See more articles by Kimiko.