NISSAN CLAIMS WORLD’S MOST EFFICIENT HYBRID ENGINE—COULD THIS BE ITS BIG COMEBACK?

e-Power Hybrid / Courtesy of Nissan" >

Nissan’s next-generation e-POWER system marks a significant departure from conventional hybrid technology. Unlike traditional hybrids, it adopts a series-hybrid configuration in which the internal combustion engine functions solely as a generator, while the wheels are driven exclusively by an electric motor. This design, intended to maximize fuel efficiency, stands in clear contrast to Toyota’s parallel-hybrid system, where both the engine and motor can directly power the wheels.

Nissan views e-POWER as a cornerstone technology to reestablish its competitiveness in the global eco-friendly vehicle market and to help reverse recent sales declines.

Pioneering Cold Spray Valve Seat Technology

The new ZR15DDTe engine debuts with a breakthrough manufacturing innovation.

For the first time in automotive production, valve seats are applied directly onto the cylinder head using a cold-spray process. This replaces the conventional press-fit method, enabling Nissan to optimize intake port geometry. The result is reduced airflow turbulence, improved combustion characteristics, and a notable boost in overall engine efficiency.

With this technology, Nissan reports achieving a thermal efficiency of 42 percent—surpassing the 41 percent benchmark previously set by Toyota and Hyundai. Industry analysts point out that such efficiency levels have never before been seen in production vehicles, placing the ZR15DDTe in territory typically reserved for Formula 1 power units.

Manufacturing Innovation Boosts Durability and Cooling

The cold-spray process, which propels copper-based alloys onto surfaces at supersonic speeds, has long been employed in aerospace and industrial applications. Nissan’s adaptation of this technique for mass automotive production represents a major breakthrough. Beyond manufacturing benefits, it also improves valve-seat cooling performance. Thanks to the high thermal conductivity of the copper alloy, valve temperatures are kept lower, enhancing both durability and long-term reliability.

Nissan secured a patent for the technology in 2020, with full registration completed in April of this year. The company stresses that this is not a simple retrofit, but rather a fundamental redesign of the component to ensure structural integrity and extended service life.

Nissan's Comeback Strategy Takes Shape

Nissan’s recent market struggles have been linked in part to its limited hybrid lineup, especially in North America, where hybrids dominate the eco-friendly vehicle segment.

That tide may now be shifting. Building on the success of e-POWER hybrids in the European Qashqai, Nissan plans to introduce the technology to North America with the next-generation Rogue. Industry observers see the move as a potential catalyst for the brand’s resurgence.

Having faced setbacks with overly complex technologies such as the VC-Turbo engine, Nissan’s latest strategy emphasizes manufacturing innovations that deliver meaningful efficiency gains without adding unnecessary mechanical complexity.

As the industry watches closely, one question looms: can Nissan’s new hybrid engine technology become the breakthrough that restores its competitive edge in the global market?

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2025-10-08T01:37:08Z