e-POWER 4WD
e-POWER 4WD is an electric 4WD system that generates electricity with the engine and drives the four wheels with two high-output motors.
Taking advantage of the unique characteristics of the electric motors, e-POWER 4WD provides high-speed and high-precision control of driving force, which could not be achieved with conventional mechanical 4WD, thereby realizing powerful and stable driving in a wide range of situations, from daily driving to slippery roads.
System Operation
[When launching]
e-POWER
4WD
drives
with
all
four
wheels
in
all
vehicle
speed
ranges.
Taking
advantage
of
the
unique
characteristics
of
motors
that
can
control
torque
with
high
precision
in
response
to
the
driver's
accelerator
operation,
e-POWER
4WD
smoothly
drives
all
four
wheels
when
the
accelerator
is
depressed,
and,
if
one
drive
wheel
slips,
it
quickly
distributes
drive
power
to
the
other
drive
wheel.
This
enables
smooth
and
powerful
starts
even
on
slippery,
snowy
slopes.
[When decelerating]
When
the
accelerator
is
released,
the
front
and
rear
motors
employ
regenerative
braking
in
a
well-balanced
manner
and
decelerate
the
vehicle.
This
suppresses
pitching
behavior
in
the
vehicle's
body
and
realizes
flat
and
smooth
deceleration.
Additionally,
by
constantly
monitoring
each
wheel's
degree
of
slippage
and
automatically
controlling
the
amount
of
regenerative
braking
on
slippery
road
surfaces,
slippage
is
minimized
and
the
vehicle
stably
decelerates.
[When cornering]
e-POWER
4WD,
which
can
independently
change
front
and
rear
driving
force,
does
not
have
drive
force
distribution
restrictions
like
conventional
mechanical
4WD,
and
can
freely
change
the
front
and
rear
driving
force
according
to
driving
conditions
such
as
vehicle
attitude.
For
example,
e-POWER
4WD
demonstrates
high
cornering
performance
by
increasing
the
driving
force
of
the
rear
wheels
during
acceleration,
increasing
the
driving
force
of
the
front
wheels
when
cornering,
and
utilizing
the
tires
which
can
exert
more
gripping
power.
Changes the distribution of driving force according to driving conditions such as vehicle posture
System Mechanism
Two
high-power
motors
independently
drive
the
front
and
rear
wheels.
Compared
to
conventional
mechanical
4WD
that
can
only
vary
the
distribution
of
driving
force
up
to
50:50
due
to
their
structure,
motor
4WD
systems
have
the
potential
to
freely
change
the
driving
force
distribution
from
100:0
to
0:100.
e-POWER
4WD
drives
with
all
four
wheels
in
all
vehicle
speed
ranges,
and,
depending
on
vehicle
attitude
and
slip
conditions,
freely
changes
the
driving
force
distribution
so
that
the
tires
can
exert
more
gripping
power,
thereby
realizing
stable
driving
performance.
RELATED TECHNOLOGY
e-POWER system
e-POWER delivers a responsive and quiet drive like an EV.
e-POWER control technology
Advanced control technology supports the powerful and quiet driving that is characteristic of motor drive
e-POWER's internal combustion engine achieves 50% thermal efficiency
Efficient, fixed-point operation is achieved by restricting the engine's operating range, which is only possible for an engine that is dedicated to electricity generation
The further evolution of e-POWER control technology
Providing even better fuel efficiency and quietness by controlling when to generate power.