The Nissan e-4ORCE is almost ready for production of electric four-wheel drive vehicles.

Nissan is almost ready to expand its EV efforts beyond the single-motor Leaf hatchback.

Nissan is developing a twin-motor powertrain that delivers precise handling through a new pure electric four-wheel drive system called e-4ORCE.

The system was developed on the Leaf prototype Nissan unveiled last October, and in a statement Thursday the automaker said development work is nearly complete. The prototype's two motors will produce a combined 300 horsepower and 500 pounds of torque.

While electric vehicles are known for being fast in a straight line, Nissan wants its EVs to offer balanced performance that also prioritizes handling and comfort. To that end, Nissan is developing the e-4ORCE.

The system, which works by managing the power delivery and braking of individual wheels, is designed to allow the vehicle to trace the driver's intended line on a variety of surfaces, including ice and snow, without requiring the driver to change driving style or inputs. The system constantly monitors various inputs, such as wheel slip, and reacts instantaneously (three times faster than the blink of an eye), making vehicle movement feel seamless to the driver.

Under normal conditions, torque is distributed equally to the front and rear wheels, but up to 100% of the torque can be sent to either axle if necessary, and torque to each wheel can be adjusted by the respective brakes. Regenerative braking can also be used to enhance comfort, for example, by dialing up the braking effect on the axles to reduce vehicle pitch and dive.

"We developed this technology to work in the background and not confuse the driver," says Ryozo Hiraku, head of Nissan's powertrain and EV engineering department.

"We want first-time car drivers to feel comfortable that the car responds as intended in an extremely natural way, and once they get used to driving a car with e-4ORCE, they may be surprised to find themselves driving a car without it."

The first application should be a small crossover SUV, previewed by the 2019 Ariya concept and expected to hit the market in 2021.