A couple of days ago a test mule strikingly similar to the Nissan Leaf was spotted. This is Infiniti’s valiant attempt to enter the EV market, a task that should not be too hard to achieve due to Infiniti’s partnership with Nissan. As a result, Infinity is able to borrow concepts and ideas from Nissan’s Leaf. For a while, we’ve seen rumors and sketches of the Infiniti EV car, but everything has been more theory than reality. That is, until now. The anticipation did not live up to the standards for me. I could’ve waited a bit longer for the reveal because in all honesty, this test mule is not exactly a beautifully manufactured masterpiece, nor is it easy on the eyes.
With this electric vehicle, Infiniti will be seeking to reach the eco-friendly crowd that has their eyes set on a luxury brand name. Although Infiniti’s mystery EV will be sharing parts with its older brother, the Nissan Leaf, the car will bring about different qualities. Contrary to the pictured test mule, the actual Infiniti production EV should have a sleeker 4-door fastback design, which would be a breath of fresh air as opposed to the more conservative look of the Leaf. The Infiniti EV will most likely be obtaining a power upgrade from the 107HP of the Nissan Leaf, and should get an upgraded lithium ion battery pack to handle all of that extra power. Also, the newer Infiniti EV will strive to have an extended range from the Leaf’s advertised 100-mile range (averaged 58 miles-per-charge over a 2700-mile long term test).
Audiences everywhere can expect this car to make its premiere on the roads in 2014, leaving much time for the test prototype to be developed and tweaked. Buyers should be prepared for a price tag starting at a substantial $40,000. A bit steep, this figure is closer to the Chevy Volt. Hopefully this is a stepping-stone for the production of Infiniti’s next green project, the Emerge-E, which will be a sleek 2-door plugin.
I’m happy to see that there are more and more companies evolving into the future and joining the green campaign. The increased competition will influence rivals to design more attractive and mechanically sound cars with greater power and longer ranges. The challenge is on. Once others are able to achieve these goals, hopefully a manufacturer other than Tesla Motors can come out with a decent looking EV car. What do you guys think? Do you like the look of the present day EV cars or would like to see some sleeker designs?
[Via: Car and Driver]
