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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
Open Car Bar
What do you think?
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Sambawacki commented on this article
at 10:53 am on 23 March 2010
If Infiniti is supposed to be a luxury sub-brand, then how are they going to make an electric version of the Leaf whilst still being luxurious? Surely all the extras would add some weight? Probably no-one will but it though...
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alanlo commented on this article
at 01:30 pm on 23 March 2010
wonder how luxurious can it possibly be
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scottneal commented on this article
at 04:14 pm on 23 March 2010
Having a 'posh' hybrid is like having a 'cheap' Maybach. Only different. And considerably more vulgar.
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Twister commented on this article
at 04:50 pm on 23 March 2010
As I said in the Leaf article, theres no point in making it because it doesn't actually save the planet
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PaulHorrell commented on this article
at 06:00 pm on 23 March 2010
Twister - please don't keep treating us as dumb and gullible every time we write about an electric car. Electric cars are provably more efficient than diesel or petrol cars. This applies even if the electricity comes from gas or oil. Reason - a power station is about twice as efficient as the combustion engine in a car, and en electric motor is extremely efficient. So the combined efficiency (even when you allow for power transmission losses in the grid and losses in the battery) is far better than a regular car. There are all sorts of reasons why you and I might not like EVs (range, battery cost, infrastructure cost, recharging time, to name but a few) but well-to-wheel CO2 just isn't one of them. The EV wins hands down. Get over it.
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