Infiniti's Performance Electric Car

Expect the Best from Infiniti

If the power and design shown by Infiniti's 592hp Essence Hybrid is any indicator, the power of Infiniti's first production electric car will surely be best in class. Details are starting to leak out about what Infiniti's first electric car will look like. It is rumored to be based upon a Nissan Leaf platform but will no doubt have a look more in line with the 2011 Infiniti M and the Essence Concept car. Here are a few recent blog posts that discuss in more detail..

 

Infiniti’s electric-car will use Nissan Leaf platform, will have better performance

From eGMCarTech

At the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show last year, President and CEO of Nissan Motors Co. Ltd., announced that Infiniti plans to introduce an electric vehicle. He said that the new electric-car will be true to the Infiniti brand’s promise of “Inspired Performance.”

According to recent reports, the Infiniti electric-vehicle will use the same platform as the new Nissan Leaf, but will have a totally different body. It will be the smallest Infiniti and will be much faster than the Nissan Leaf.

By now you’re probably thinking “much faster” means “shorter range.” Well, the Infiniti electric-car won’t be launched until 2014 and by that time Nissan is hoping to have its next-generation battery ready, which should hold enough charge with increased power.

“We’re not doing EVs [electric vehicles] for a limited number of people,” says Infiniti’s boss. “We want lots of buyers quickly, so we are making a family car. We have no intention to make a niche EV. Besides, big vehicles are too heavy for today’s batteries, which is why our car will be compact.”

Parental Leaf

From Top Gear Magazine

With all the prominence in the news about the Nissan Leaf (pictured) these past few days, it's worth remembering Nissan has other ways of getting its money back on the electric-car project. There's a luxury version coming, under the Infiniti brand.

So much for the idea that tree-huggers all wear hair shirts. The electric Infiniti will no doubt be all very Hollywood.

It will use the same platform as the Leaf, but a different body. So it will be the smallest Infiniti. But all Infinitis are supposed to have high performance as well as being luxurious, so the motor power will be turned up compared with the Leaf's.

Normally this would result in a shorter range, but the Infiniti electric car won't be launched until 2014 or so, when Nissan is ready with its next generation of battery, which should hold enough charge to cope with the increased power.

This electrification strategy, of starting with a smallish hatch, is the opposite of what Audi is doing. Audi will start with a punishingly expensive two-seat electric supercar, the e-Tron.

We asked the boss of Infiniti why. "We're not doing EVs [electric vehicles] for a limited number of people. We want lots of buyers quickly, so we are making a family car. We have no intention to make a niche EV. Besides, big vehicles are too heavy for today's batteries, which is why our car will be compact."

Paul Horrell, Consultant Editor of Top Gear magazine


About Grubbs Infiniti
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