Upon uncovering their newest concept car, the Q Inspiration, Japanese premium automaker Infiniti has followed up their near-term vision vehicle with some firm projections to where they will be with next-generation powertrains.
The year 2021 will be a momentous one for the luxury Nissan offshoot as they have now confirmed that that’s when their push toward electrified powertrains will begin in earnest, at least insofar as it is materially substantial to buyers.
It’s certainly gives some pause to consider that the announcement’s phrasing that Infiniti will “offer electrified powertrains from 2021” when they already offer hybrid (i.e electrified) powertrains for their existing cars, and have done so for some time.
Perhaps what they meant to say was that all future models, instead of selected model lines, will offer electrification, and this could also mean that prior to that, Infiniti will offer cars with a 48-volt electrical architecture to support more onboard autonomous features as well as other mild-hybrid functionality.
The company also said that the primary way that they plan to appeal to new customers with the promised benefits of electrified cars is through cars with their proprietary e-Power drivetrains, which functions more like a range-extended EV rather than a traditional hybrid.
Powering the wheels will be either a single or multiple electric motors, deriving energy from a high output battery of substantial capacity. However, a small internal combustion engine will be integrated into the design which serves to charge up said battery, thereby eliminating the need to derive charge from an external source that might take multiple hours.
Essentially, it provides the same driving experience as a pure EV but with the convenience of a quick refuel instead of an inefficiently long charge time. Indeed, there will be a dependence on fossil fuels, but the level of emissions generated and distance travelled for the amount of petrol used is far greater than even the most sophisticated combustion motor of today.
In addition to this e-Power solution, Infiniti will also offer the more traditional zero emissions fully electric vehicle, likely powered purely by batteries. Thanks to Renault-Nissan’s leading position on EVs, Infiniti should have no trouble leveraging their technical advantage in the space, offering an electric powertrain that’s both compact, high density, powerful, and cost-effective.
There’s no doubt, then, that Infiniti has been working on this EV push for quite some time now. Ironically, their most recent high profile announcements have surrounded their innovative combustion engines such as their industry-first production variable-compression mill as well as their powerful 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6.
Also, and ironically, the Q Inspiration concept car that just made its debut at the Detroit Motor Show, the car that Infiniti says will set the bar for all future models in terms of design and intent, is powered by a rather traditional-sounding 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol unit.
For more on Infiniti cars, check out our Showroom.
