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Nissan’s logo is illuminated on a prototype of its new all-electric Ariya crossover. Nissan’s Z Proto performance car is reflected in the vehicle’s grille, while a redesigned Nissan Pathfinder SUV sits in the background. Michael Wayland / CNBC Nissan Motor plans to introduce a new type of hybrid to the U.S. market that drives like an all-electric vehicle but is powered — not driven — by a traditional gas-powered engine.  The new Nissan “e-Power” is called a series hybrid. It uses the engine as a generator to power the vehicle’s electric motors that then propel the vehicle. It operates like emerging extended-range electric vehicles, or EREVs, but has a smaller battery and doesn’t require a plug.  It’s also different from a traditional hybrid, such as the Toyota Prius, because the gas engine in those vehicles is used to propel the vehicle. The series hybrid’s engine just keeps the battery charged to power the electric motors in the vehicles. The e-Power hybrid system for Nissan is planned to launch domestically later this year in a new version of its popular Rogue compact SUV.  Timing for such a vehicle could be ideal for Nissan with climbing gas prices, slower-than-planned adoption of EVs and an expected surge in hybrid sales amid new entries, according to officials. After losing billions of dollars on EVs, automakers such as Nissan are turning to hybrid vehicles to meet customer expectations for fuel economy and to help with driving performance. S&P Global Mobility expects hybrids in the U.S. this year to increase to 18.4% of new vehicle sales, up from 12.6% last year and 7.3% in 2023. It’s forecasting pure EVs, meanwhile, will be 7.1% of new vehicle sales, down from 8% last year. “This is a unique powertrain for the for the U.S.,” Kurt Rosolowsky, Nissan North…

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Filed under: News - @ March 21, 2026 1:21 pm