The Infiniti LE is a
concept car
A concept car (also known as a concept vehicle, show vehicle or prototype) is a car made to showcase new styling and/or new technology. They are often exhibited at motor shows to gauge customer reaction to new and radical designs which may or ...
developed by the
Infiniti
is the luxury vehicle division of the Japanese automaker Nissan. Infiniti officially started selling vehicles on November 8, 1989, in North America. The marketing network for Infiniti-branded vehicles included dealers in over 50 countries in ...
division of
Nissan Motors
, trading as Nissan Motor Corporation and often shortened to Nissan, is a Japanese multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Nishi-ku, Yokohama, Japan. The company sells its vehicles under the Nissan, Infiniti, and Datsun brands ...
and was revealed to the public at the
2012 New York Auto Show. The LE names comes from Luxury first and Electric second.
An Infiniti spokesperson said the vehicle shown is a "production intent" concept and will be on the market in 2014. In May 2013 the company said that it was waiting for
inductive charging industry standards before launching the vehicle.
The Infiniti LE Concept is based on the
Nissan Leaf
The , stylized as LEAF, is a compact five-door hatchback battery electric vehicle (BEV) manufactured by Nissan. It was introduced in Japan and the United States in December 2010, and its second generation was introduced in October 2017. The Lea ...
platform. However the LE concept is powered by a ,
electric motor
An electric motor is an electrical machine that converts electrical energy into mechanical energy. Most electric motors operate through the interaction between the motor's magnetic field and electric current in a wire winding to generate for ...
, rather than the , motor used in the Leaf. Like the Leaf, the LE will also utilize a 24 kWh or larger lithium-ion battery pack mounted below the passenger compartment. Driving range on a single charge is estimated to be about . The LE is aerodynamically clean with its high rear deck, aero-treated wheels, rear diffuser, front spoiler and side spoilers to give a drag coefficient of . The LE would mark the brand's first
front-wheel drive
Front-wheel drive (FWD) is a form of engine and transmission layout used in motor vehicles, where the engine drives the front wheels only. Most modern front-wheel drive vehicles feature a transverse engine, rather than the conventional longitu ...
car since the 2004
Infiniti I35 if the car goes into production.
A key feature of the LE is its inductive
wireless charging
Inductive charging (also known as wireless charging or cordless charging) is a type of wireless power transfer. It uses electromagnetic induction to provide electricity to portable devices. Inductive charging is also used in vehicles, power too ...
. The vehicle can be charged by parking it over a charge point located in the floor, rather than plugging into an electrical outlet. However, the LE can also be charged through its
CHAdeMO
CHAdeMO is a fast-charging system for battery electric vehicles, developed starting in 2010 by the CHAdeMO Association, formed by the Tokyo Electric Power Company and five major Japanese automakers. The name is an abbreviation of "CHArge de MOve ...
DC50kW quick charger.
In June 2013, Infiniti CEO Johan de Nysschen said the Infiniti LE was on hold indefinitely as the Infiniti brand was attempting to triple sales by the 2017 fiscal year.
In July 2013, Nissan's head of global planning
Andy Palmer said the LE is "not significantly" on hold, but delayed "a little bit" so that Infiniti can incorporate some "interesting advances in electric technology" like new lithium ion battery technology that will increase range and lower the price.
In July 2014, the LE was reported as in development again. Patents for a more production-ready design for the LE were also found later that year. However, in October 2015, the company again reversed their strategy saying it will not have such a car in its line up until 2020, at the earliest.
References
External links
All Infiniti cars to be electrified by 2021, either hybrid or pure electric{{Infiniti vehicles
LE