Qashqai e-power running in period

[Pauly88]

Hi All, I'm due to take delivery of a brand new Qashqai E-power NConnecta shortly. It has an ICE which powers the electric battery, as you may know. I know people say modern cars don't need a running-in period these days, but there are some people who still recommend it. I'm due to do a 180 mile motorway trip within a few days of getting it, then a 180 mile return trip a week later. I'm not sure how the ICE will work on the motorway. I hear you're not supposed to keep constant revs when driving a new car, especially at 70MPH. Or is this not an issue these days? Any help appreciated. Thanks

[RotorRambler]

“ • No need to avoid 70MPH — just drive normally and smoothly.
• The engine is managed by software, so it won’t sit at problematic constant RPMs even if your road speed is steady”

[Pauly88]

Hi. Thanks for the reply. Ok, I’ll drive normally then, which will probably be in the 60-70MPH range for most of the trip. I had heard that the pistons needed to “bed in” but maybe this info is redundant these days. Didn’t want to damage it! Thanks.

[samoht]

It's interesting that the 'Nissan Qashqai 2024 Owners Manual' under the Starting and Driving section says

The manual said:

During the first 1,000 miles ... Avoid driving for long periods at a constant speed, either fast or slow.

https://www.nissan.co.uk/owners/car-repair/car-own...

however the 'Nissan Qashqai e-POWER 2024 Owners Manual' makes no mention of any running-in requirements.
https://www.nissan.co.uk/owners/car-repair/car-own...

At a guess they've programmed the system to vary the engine rpm even at constant speed cruise, at least for the first 1000 miles, so the driver doesn't have to worry about it.

[clockworks]

Since the engine isn't connected to the wheels, engine rpm is purely software controlled to keep the battery topped up.

[Pauly88]

Thanks for your replies. Sorry, yes, I did notice the the "running-in" period recommendations in the manual for the petrol version and the absence of it in the e-power version, but forgot to mention it in my original post. Intriguing. I wonder whether the ICE will generate enough electric power for the battery, then stop and rest periodically, throughout my 180 mile journey at 60-70MPH for 2-3 hours . I don't want it to work too hard during its first couple of weeks.

[clockworks]

Pauly88 said:

Thanks for your replies. Sorry, yes, I did notice the the "running-in" period recommendations in the manual for the petrol version and the absence of it in the e-power version, but forgot to mention it in my original post. Intriguing. I wonder whether the ICE will generate enough electric power for the battery, then stop and rest periodically, throughout my 180 mile journey at 60-70MPH for 2-3 hours . I don't want it to work too hard during its first couple of weeks.

A quick Google suggests that the traction battery in these is just 2.1KWh, which is tiny compared to a plug-in hybrid.

Assuming it's capable of using the whole battery in EV mode, it would do 7 or 8 miles before needing the engine.

Can it even run without the engine at higher speeds?


I'm struggling to see the point of this system.
You can't plug it in and run it on cheap-rate electricity.
The battery is barely big enough for a quick trip to the shops, and then it has to recharge with a petrol engine.
OK, decoupling the engine means it'll be a bit more economical than a pure ICE or mild hybrid, but it costs more to buy.

[charltjr]

Pauly88 said:

Thanks for your replies. Sorry, yes, I did notice the the "running-in" period recommendations in the manual for the petrol version and the absence of it in the e-power version, but forgot to mention it in my original post. Intriguing. I wonder whether the ICE will generate enough electric power for the battery, then stop and rest periodically, throughout my 180 mile journey at 60-70MPH for 2-3 hours . I don't want it to work too hard during its first couple of weeks.

Just drive it and don’t worry about it. The engine is powering a generator and the revs will vary with the power demand needs of the car. It won’t need a rest.

[Pauly88]

Thanks again for the replies. I suppose I’m concerned that the battery would get depleted quickly on a 180 mile journey at 70MPH, so the ICE would be working at high RPMs for a high percentage of the journey to replenish the battery quickly on the motorway. Unless this is not the case? This is something I was led to believe isn’t good for a new engine. Thanks

[samoht]

Pauly88 said:

Thanks again for the replies. I suppose I m concerned that the battery would get depleted quickly on a 180 mile journey at 70MPH, so the ICE would be working at high RPMs for a high percentage of the journey to replenish the battery quickly on the motorway. Unless this is not the case? This is something I was led to believe isn t good for a new engine. Thanks

Apparently the petrol engine in the e-Power generates a pretty respectable 190 bhp. Cruising at a sustained 70mph isn't going to put much strain on that engine, probably only uses about one quarter of the engine's maximum power.

Given the relative instructions in the manual, and the specs, I think you can just drive the car normally and let the e-Power system worry about managing the engine and its running-in period.

[kambites]

clockworks said:

I'm struggling to see the point of this system.

I'd imagine the battery is primarily to allow for regenerative braking; and perhaps to act as a very short-term buffer so the ICE car run closer to peak efficiency more of the time.

[Tractor Driver]

How long are you planning to keep it? In all probability, any issues that manifest from running in are unlikely to be evident during the warranty period.

My wife had a new Beetle back in 2001. Always used a lot of oil, which I put down to it being treated too gently during the running in period. VW replaced the piston rings under warranty at 50k miles, but it made no difference. We kept it to 120k miles and just checked the oil level regularly.

[clockworks]

kambites said:

clockworks said:

I'm struggling to see the point of this system.

I'd imagine the battery is primarily to allow for regenerative braking; and perhaps to act as a very short-term buffer so the ICE car run closer to peak efficiency more of the time.

That's the theory, and Nissan reckon about 10mpg improvement over the petrol version.

I'd be very concerned about battery life. It's constantly in use, and if it fails, the car's going nowhere. 3000 full cycles, potentially game over.
At 2.1 KWh, 8 miles per cycle, the battery will have done 3000 cycles in around 25k miles - unless the battery is "out of the loop" most of the time, and the engine/generator is driving the motor directly?


I was a bit concerned about this with my Volvo PHEV, but the battery was 5 times bigger, and there was a good chance the petrol engine would still drive the car as long as the battery wasn't totally dead.

Now driving a Kia EV3, and 3000 cycles is getting on for a million miles.

[Matthen]

clockworks said:

kambites said:

clockworks said:

I'm struggling to see the point of this system.

I'd imagine the battery is primarily to allow for regenerative braking; and perhaps to act as a very short-term buffer so the ICE car run closer to peak efficiency more of the time.

That's the theory, and Nissan reckon about 10mpg improvement over the petrol version.

I'd be very concerned about battery life. It's constantly in use, and if it fails, the car's going nowhere. 3000 full cycles, potentially game over.
At 2.1 KWh, 8 miles per cycle, the battery will have done 3000 cycles in around 25k miles - unless the battery is "out of the loop" most of the time, and the engine/generator is driving the motor directly?


I was a bit concerned about this with my Volvo PHEV, but the battery was 5 times bigger, and there was a good chance the petrol engine would still drive the car as long as the battery wasn't totally dead.

Now driving a Kia EV3, and 3000 cycles is getting on for a million miles.

What's the point in worrying? Extended the warranty and drive the car;

I've got a (mild) MHEV system in my car, and would rather it used the battery than the unleaded;

If the battery fails, the manufacture will have to replace it; (I'd say a 2.1 kWh battery can't be that expensive, but I expect Nissan have put an enormous mark up on it) and by the time it's out of warranty, I'll be astounded if there aren't pattern parts available.

[Jimbo.]

clockworks said:

kambites said:

clockworks said:

I'm struggling to see the point of this system.

I'd imagine the battery is primarily to allow for regenerative braking; and perhaps to act as a very short-term buffer so the ICE car run closer to peak efficiency more of the time.

That's the theory, and Nissan reckon about 10mpg improvement over the petrol version.

I'd be very concerned about battery life. It's constantly in use, and if it fails, the car's going nowhere. 3000 full cycles, potentially game over.
At 2.1 KWh, 8 miles per cycle, the battery will have done 3000 cycles in around 25k miles - unless the battery is "out of the loop" most of the time, and the engine/generator is driving the motor directly?


I was a bit concerned about this with my Volvo PHEV, but the battery was 5 times bigger, and there was a good chance the petrol engine would still drive the car as long as the battery wasn't totally dead.

Now driving a Kia EV3, and 3000 cycles is getting on for a million miles.

You’re worrying over nothing. Just look at the number of Toyota hybrids being used as taxis running into mega miles. The battery will not continually deep cycle over mileage; the car will use whatever’s the most efficient and lowest emission given load, speed, torque demand etc, and in reality use only a small proportion of the capacity.

[clockworks]

Lithium batteries can do around 3000 full cycles.
Partial cycles add up, so 6000 50% cycles, 12000 25% cycles, etc.


From what I can make out, the difference between the Nissan E-Power system and a normal hybrid (like the Prius) is the lack of direct engine drive to the wheels. The battery is always cycling.
It's more like a "range extender" EV, but with a tiny battery and a bigger engine - unless the battery gets completely bypassed a lot of the time?

[charltjr]

My understanding is that the petrol engine directly drives the generator which provides power to the electric motor. The battery is there to provide extra boost for situations such as overtaking and filling in the gaps when the engine has not yet had time to respond to demand.

[andburg]

i think the benefit is from running the ICE at an efficient load/rpm rather than driving the wheels and that being restricted by gearing

[Sauce]

We have one, bought because it was on offer rather than a specific attraction to the hybrid system. You’ve got no control over the run in as people have posted.

I don’t think it’s hugely more efficient but you do get the benefit of instant torque and acceleration as it’s essentially an electric drivetrain. Certainly better than the other qashqai engine options.

[Pauly88]

Sauce said:

We have one, bought because it was on offer rather than a specific attraction to the hybrid system. You ve got no control over the run in as people have posted.

I don t think it s hugely more efficient but you do get the benefit of instant torque and acceleration as it s essentially an electric drivetrain. Certainly better than the other qashqai engine options.

Thanks to everyone for all the replies so far. To “Sauce”, have you driven at motorway speeds while having the
“Power flow” screen on the dash? If so, I was wondering how often it showed the ICE starting and stopping at say 70MPH? Thanks