Nissan and Infiniti to Reveal Next-Gen EVs in Detroit

author: Manish Kharinta   

A recent report disclosed that Nissan and its luxury subsidiary Infinity will bring the company's next-generation electric vehicles to the 2019 North American International Auto Show. The report claims that Nissan and Infiniti's chief designer leaked the information. 

The auto show will be held in Detroit and opens to the public on January 12, 2019. 

Nissan previously unveiled its latest electric architecture when it showcased the Infiniti Q inspiration concept. The report claims that the upcoming electric vehicles will be an extension of Nissan's new electric vehicle architecture.

However, there has been no official word confirming the body type or any other specifications of the upcoming electric vehicles. Nissan is keeping details about these EVs close to its chest for the grand reveal at the 2019 NAIAS.

Nissan onfirmed that these next-generation electric vehicles will make an appearance at the upcoming Tokyo motor show. Nissan and Infiniti's global design chief, Alfonso Albaisa said that the company does not want to discuss specifications of the upcoming models. He further added that the Q Inspiration concept was the first concept to break away from the standard Infinity mold.

Nissan's VC turbo was considered for the powerplant of choice for the concept. Albaisa said that the upcoming concepts will be a departure from the standard Nissan Infiniti vehicle proportions of the Q Inspiration. He refrained from disclosing which segments these concepts represent. The Q Inspiration concept features a cabin which has been shifted forward and draws inspiration from traditional coach building practices.

The design of Q Inspiration was inspired by an archer shooting an arrow through the air and Incorporated design accents like minimal use of chrome and elongated cabin which expands the interior space. The powerplant in the concept uses a varible-compression turbocharged engine, which is capable of changing compression ratios depending on the driving conditions to maximize power and efficiency.

The upcoming electrified concept will feature Nissan's e-Power series hybrid technology. This technology uses a small isolated gasoline engine which acts as a power generator to charge the batteries. The battery pack offered in these electric vehicles will be a brand new state-of-the-art unit. Albaiso describes this next-generation battery pack as the "magic carpet".

Speaking about the "magic carpet" battery pack, Albaiso said it will be thinner and denser, which allows Nissan's designers to make the car bigger with more space for passengers.

Manish Kharinta

Manish Kharinta is a automotive writer based in the Los Angeles area. He has worked for automotive industry websites TheSmokingClutch.com, CarDekho.com and CarBikeindia.com. His experience ranges from covering auto shows, to car reviews and breaking automotive news. Manish aims to bring forth his unique perspective on automotive design and technological innovations in the automotive industry.