Nissan sees price parity for EVs and e-Power vehicles

Hirai did not say what vehicles the powertrain units will debut in. But the systems can be deployed across everything from Japanese-market minivehicles to the American-size D-segment and above.

In 2026, Nissan will add four new EVs to the U.S. market made for the Nissan and Infiniti brands at its Canton, Miss., plant. A next-generation Nissan Leaf is also expected in that time frame.

While Nissan has not committed to bringing its e-Power hybrid setup to the U.S. market, Hirai suggested that the powertrain may have applications in body-on-frame vehicles, such as trucks.

Nissan calls the new setup “x-in-1” because it integrates multiple electric drivetrain components into a single module, replacing a bulky, bolt-on approach used in today’s vehicles.

The 3-in-1 setup is geared toward full EVs and combines the motor, inverter and reducer into a module enclosed in a single casing. The 5-in-1 setup will be used in Nissan’s e-Power variants and combine the motor, inverter, generator, reducer and increaser.

The reducer slows the revolutions per minute of the electric motor to a speed that will turn the axle and wheels. The increaser speeds up the revolutions of the e-Power’s gasoline engine to spin the generator that recharges the system’s battery. In both the EV and e-Power setups, only the electric motor provides the mechanical force that powers the cars.

The new approach allows for more compact, less costly packaging.

Nissan declined to disclose who will make the individual components. But the final modules will be assembled by Nissan-affiliated transmission supplier Jatco.

Hirai said Nissan will likely produce key components in-house at lower volumes. But at higher volumes above 200,000, Nissan will likely seek suppliers to produce them.

The x-in-1 powertrains were developed independently by Nissan without input from its alliance partners Renault or Mitsubishi, said Akihiro Shibuya, Alliance director for powertrain and EV engineering. The partners could be offered the technology, but nothing is decided, he said.