New EV comes to NZ

A new type of electric car has recently hit New Zealand’s shores.

The Nissan Note e-Power has just been brought in by the team at GVI Electric – and more are on the way.

It’s not a pure electric car and it’s not a hybrid but something in-between.

The Note e-Power is what the industry calls a “series hybrid”. That means this car is an electric car in that it runs on an electric motor which drives the front wheels.

However, unlike most EVs, this car has a 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol engine that acts solely as a generator to charge the batteries. The engine does not drive the wheels in any way, and for Japan that is a new concept.

Most of the time, the Note runs whisper-quiet with only the sound of the wind and tyres reaching the cabin. When the batteries run down, or when the air-conditioning, headlights and wipers are used excessively, the engine will cut in and out regularly to ensure the e-Power is charged.

The first Note e-Power may have been brought in by GVI Electric.
But it won’t be the last, as Autolink Cars in Auckland already has two on the way and Auto Court in Dunedin has been on the look-out for them as well.