Infiniti News: Infiniti To Become Electrified Brand for Nissan

[William Maley]

After 2021, most of Infiniti's lineup will feature some sort of electrification. That's the word from Nissan CEO Hiroto Saikawa speaking this week at the Automotive News World Congress. All new models will either use fully-electric powertrains or use Nissan's ePower setup - similar to the Chevrolet Volt's powertrain where a small gas engine acts only as a generator for the battery. The only model that will be excluded from this plan is the full-size QX80 SUV. Infiniti also announced their first electric vehicle would launch in 2021.

Infiniti is the latest automaker to announce plans to electrify their lineup. The likes of Volvo and Jaguar Land Rover announced similar plans last year.

This brings up the question as to what will happen to Infiniti's new VC Turbo engine. Executives emphasized that the engine is seen as a bridge between gas engines to electrifications. Saikawa didn't say what would happen to the VC Turbo engine after 2021. 

Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)

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[G. David Felt]

Makes sense to take the Infiniti brand and go hybrid / ev only for it and as R&D gets paid for by higher priced product line, then push it down into lower priced autos.

[smk4565]

"Electrified" is a loose term, when a mild hybrid could count as electrified.  I imagine 100% of cars sold by 2025 will have some sort of electrification.  

[daves87rs]

Another whole lineup? Interesting....

 

While I get what the future needs- they shouldn't forget a little choice here and there....