A select team of engineers from Nissan Technical Centre in Barcelona have successfully completed the Baja Aragon Rally, driving a modified and powered Nissan X-Trail e-4ORCE from the exclusive system Nissan’s e-POWER. The event took place on July 27 and 28 and saw the vehicle take on over 500 kilometers of difficult terrain and challenging, demonstrating the reliability and robustness of the e-POWER system.
The vehicle was prepared by a team of seven engineers from the powertrain function of the Nissan Technical Centre Europe – Spain (NTCE-S)The team consisted of Jonathan Gijonexpert in chassis dynamics, and Cesar Fernandeza powertrain tuning specialist, both veteran Nissan test drivers. The X-Trail has been entered in the “Open” category with the aim of competing in the “Stock” category next year, reserved for production vehicles, including hybrids.
It was a passion project
The X-Trail’s powertrain, called e-POWER, it has not undergone any changes compared to the series version. However, to tackle the rally, some specific upgrades have been made: improved cooling capacity, upgraded suspension, installation of a safety cage, a competition fuel tank, stripped interior and mandatory safety devices.
The project to participate in the Baja Aragon Rally started in February 2023 as a “passion project” by a small group of engineers at Nissan’s technical centre. Studying the X-Trail and its powertrain, the engineers concluded that, without significant modifications to the powertrain, the vehicle had the potential to compete successfully in a rally race.
Nissan X-Trail e-4ORCE, all-wheel drive on everything
The e-POWER system, also used in the Qashqai and X-Trail models, differs from traditional hybrid systems because uses the electric motor exclusively to move the wheels, ensuring a smooth, responsive and linear ride. Furthermore, thanks to the advanced on-board petrol engine, which only serves to generate electricity, customers do not have to worry about plugging in to recharge the vehicle.
Since its introduction, more than 150,000 units have been sold. e-POWER equipped vehicles in Europeof which 20,000 in Italy. The X-Trail combines the e-POWER system with the advanced e-4ORCE all-wheel drive system. This system, the result of years of experience in Nissan 4WD technologies, uses electric motors on each axle and a sophisticated system for regulating the driving force and braking action. Torque Vectoring of the four-wheel brake, ensuring brilliant performance, safety and maximum control on every type of track and in every condition.
Although not initially intended for competition, the engineering team Nissan of Barcelonapassionate and convinced of the extraordinary performance and robustness of the e-POWER system, dedicated their free time to the development of this ambitious project, leading the X-Trail to compete and successfully complete the demanding Baja Aragon Rally.
Source: www.autoblog.it
