… as Nissan develops revolutionary E-Power technology to help Africa
As the world transmits to electric vehicles alternative, especially with the recent removal of fuel subsidy in Nigeria, infrastructure deficit has been fingered as a bane to the full realisation of electric vehicles in the country.
General Manager of Stallion NMN, Nigeria’s exclusive representative of Nissan brand, Amit Sharma, disclosed this while speaking at the recent 2023 Nigeria Auto Journalists Association’s training workshop held in Lagos with the theme, ‘Autogas/Electric Vehicles as Alternatives.’
He also described its Nissan’s E-POWER, a revolutionary technology which has already been introduced to both the Qashqai and the X-Trail models as a game changer in the global quest for optimum performance of vehicles.
Sharma stated that while the world is moving towards full electric vehicles, Nigeria still lacks basic infrastructures that will make this a reality soon for the country.
He said: “Electrification is the future, E-POWER provides us with an incredible solution in a continent which has the challenges which Africa has.”
“Range anxiety or the amount of power you have in your battery, just like your mobile phone or your laptop, is a major concern, which is even worse when there is not an infrastructure of charging stations that you can rely on.
According to him basic infrastructure like charging points in urban planning is still very limited and expensive, adding also that an enabling policy on EVs development is also lacking in Nigeria.
He said this is why Nissan developed the revolutionary E-Power technology to help Africa and other areas while Nissan operates to solve their mobility issues with technology that takes into account road severity and fuel efficiency.
“The E-POWER is not a hybrid engine, but an electric engine, where the electricity is generated by a smaller internal combustion engine.
“Best of both worlds, it does away with range anxiety, but introduces all the benefits of electrification, like the incredible torque and performance that we have been witnessing, especially on the Formula E circuit.
“There are many innovations that have made motoring better, faster and safer because of Nissan’s commitment – from E-POWER to E-4ORCE regenerative braking and all-wheel drive technology, the smart pedal and even battery life,” the General Manager explained.
In his own contribution at the event, Chairman of National Gas Expansion Programme (NGEP), Dictor Mohammed Ibrahim, said, not less than 9,000 out of 10,000 filling stations in Nigeria have been approved to operate as multi-fuel stations, where vehicle owners can refuel for autogas, petrol and diesel.
He however, acknowledged the infrastructural shortcoming in the use of electric vehicle as alternative to Petroleum Premium Motor Spirit (PPMS), saying that the bottom line in the interim is autogas because of the associated challenges of consistent power generation in Nigeria.