Nissan Builds EV Test Car With Twin-motor All-wheel Control Technology

Nissan revealed a high-power, twin-motor all-wheel-control test car equipped with new technologies being developed for the company's next generation of EVs.

The vehicle, based on the 100% electric Nissan LEAF e+, features an enhanced all-wheel drive system powered by front and rear high-power motors integrated with Nissan-developed chassis control technology.

"Soon, Nissan will launch a next-generation EV that will be a true breakthrough," said Takao Asami, senior vice president for research and advanced engineering at Nissan. "The new electric-drive four-wheel-control technology now being developed integrates Nissan's electric propulsion and 4WD control technologies with our chassis control technology to achieve a huge leap in acceleration, cornering and braking performance, on par with the latest sports cars."

Using separate front and rear electric motors, the powertrain generates 227 kilowatts of maximum output and 680 Nm of maximum torque. This output is complemented by the ultra-high-precision motor control provided by Nissan's EV technology which offers highly responsive, yet uncommonly smooth, acceleration.

Drivers can benefit from the all-wheel-control system on nearly any road condition, heightening driving performance and confidence.

The test car's precision control of both motors provides ride comfort. Vehicle pitch and dive are minimized by adding regenerative rear motor braking to the usual front motor regenerative braking. When slowing down on city streets, for example, this helps keep passengers from being shaken back and forth. Similarly, on rough, bumpy roads and when accelerating, motor control is optimized to maintain ride comfort by minimizing irregular movement.

In addition to optimizing front and rear torque allocation, the system applies independent brake control at each of the four wheels to maximize the cornering force generated by each tire.

Inside, the test car sports a 12.3 inch display mounted in the center of the instrument panel that reports, in real-time, information on the vehicle control technology via a graphic interface.

Electric four-wheel-control technology increases driver confidence across a broad range of road conditions. When cornering on snow-covered roads, for example, the vehicle can faithfully trace the driver's intended line thanks to ultra-high-precision motor and brake control.

Test car specs