Infiniti’s Electrification Strategy Includes BEVs And Series Hybrids

INFINITI looking to bridge gap to mass EV adoption

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Central to INFINITI’s electrification strategy is the brand’s new gas-generated EV powertrain, which establishes a new propulsion blueprint for many of the brand’s future models. Offering the thrilling, instantaneous, silent acceleration of a high-performance electric car, this new powertrain eliminates two of the perceived obstacles to EV uptake among consumers – range confidence and the practicalities of recharging.

Propulsion is delivered to all four wheels through a pair of high-output electric motors. Power comes directly from a high-discharge, low-capacity battery pack, which is recharged constantly by a three-cylinder 1.5-liter gasoline generator based on INFINITI’s revolutionary VC-Turbo variable compression ratio technology. The result is a powertrain which delivers the serene, immediate performance of an electric car, and the convenience of a gasoline-powered vehicle – with significantly reduced emissions.

“For three decades INFINITI has built a reputation for introducing powertrains that excite and empower drivers,” comments Eric Rigaux, General Manager, Product Strategy & Planning for INFINITI Motor Company. “Our new gas-generated EV powertrain represents the next step into our electrified future, acting as a bridge to full electrification and setting the tone for our upcoming zero and ultra-low emission cars. However they are powered, our cars will offer thrilling yet serene electric performance, and e-AWD systems which inspire driver confidence.”

INFINITI will electrify its portfolio in the next two years, almost every future model from INFINITI will offer drivers a choice of gas-generated and pure EV powertrains.

A bridge to full electrification: one platform, two powertrains
In the future, INFINITI’s new ‘two powertrains, one platform’ development direction will see the creation of vehicles which accommodate both gas-generated and fully-electric powertrains.

INFINITI’s new gas-generated EV powertrain will fit many of the same platform touchpoints as an electric powertrain, with each system delivering battery power to a high-performance e-AWD (electric all-wheel drive) system. The platform of INFINITI’s future electrified cars will be engineered to accommodate a pair of high-output electric motors – one on the front axle, one on the rear.

For electric vehicles, the space between the two axles will be given over to a high-capacity battery pack. Vehicles equipped with INFINITI’s gas-generated EV powertrain will see the same space occupied by a significantly smaller battery pack, fuel tank and exhaust system, with the 1.5-liter VC-Turbo generator located at the front to feed power to the battery pack. In both instances, drive is provided solely by electric motors.

While INFINITI’s new platform will accommodate both gas-generated and full EV propulsion systems, its inherent flexibility will allow the brand to develop a range of models that share many of the same components. The shared use of sub-assemblies, such as suspension and electric motor mounting units, will see the brand benefit from both development and production efficiencies. The new platform will also make it easier for INFINITI to develop cars that are ideally suited to specific market requirements.

“This approach to powertrain and platform development will result in vehicles which offer greater cabin space and refinement, and addictive accelerative performance from a powerful e-AWD system,” comments Rigaux. “The high level of commonality between the two powertrains also creates efficiencies during the development process for each new car, giving us the flexibility to offer drivers the powertrains they want.”

Electric cars powered by gasoline: how it works
INFINITI’s new gas-generated EV powertrain will see the introduction of a series of electric cars powered by gasoline. Power is provided directly to two high-output electric motors – one on each axle – by a battery pack located beneath the floor of the cabin, varying in capacity from 3.5 to 5.1 kWh depending on model.

As an electric car powered by gasoline, the character of the power delivery is as addictive, smooth and serene as in a high-performance battery electric vehicle. With instantaneous, electrifying responses to accelerator inputs, the electric motors provide their maximum torque from 0 rpm. The powerful motors deliver a total power output of between 185 and 320 kW (248 hp to 429 hp), depending on the vehicle. Acceleration, as in any electric vehicle, is totally linear, with higher-powered versions of the powertrain able to accelerate from 0-to-62mph in around 4.5 seconds. Furthermore, the driver and passengers won’t experience the same ‘shift shock’ often associated with changing gear in a conventional hybrid or ICE (internal combustion engine) vehicle.

The battery pack is recharged constantly by the beating heart of the powertrain: INFINITI’s new ‘MR15DDT’ engine. This three-cylinder 1.5-liter gasoline generator – the first-ever application of this engine – uses INFINITI’s VC-Turbo innovative variable compression ratio technology, delivering a continuously variable rate of charge to the battery.

Crucially, the use of a gasoline generator means these vehicles will never need to be plugged in for hours to recharge. Indeed, they won’t have a charging port at all. The powertrain requires only a short stop at a gas station to refill the fuel tank, removing concerns about range.

Despite the high level of performance on offer, emissions for vehicles featuring the new gas-generated EV powertrain will be significantly reduced compared to existing vehicles from the brand, and other ICE vehicles offering similar power and performance. Importantly, the system breaks the historic link between city driving and higher emissions, with the MR15DDT generator having to work less at low speeds to power the battery pack. The result is lower emissions and improved driving range in urban environments, where emissions for ICE vehicles are generally higher.

Serene Performance: Isolating the MR15DDT Generator
INFINITI vehicles equipped with the gas-generated EV powertrain will feature a series of advanced and world-first technologies and features to create the quiet, refined ride associated with conventional electric vehicles.

One of the most striking innovations is a world-first independent mounting system for the MR15DDT generator system beneath the hood, ensuring that engine noise and vibrations are virtually unnoticeable at any driving speed. To maintain calm and serenity in the cabin, the engine and electric motors are fully encapsulated to reduce audible engine noise and motor whine. The engine’s independent mount system features fluid-filled mounts, designed to absorb any further vibrations that it may otherwise send through the body.

The MR15DDT VC-Turbo engine itself is uncommonly smooth, with significantly reduced noise and vibration levels compared to conventional in-line engines. This is a result of its multi-link design, where the piston connecting rods are almost vertical during the combustion cycle, rather than moving wider laterally as they would in a traditional crankshaft rotation. This represents the ideal reciprocating motion, and entirely negates the need for balance shafts found in other in-line engines.

Inside the cabin itself, INFINITI’s gas-generated EVs are expected to offer Active Noise Cancellation, which will further counter any low frequency noises from the engine and road by producing opposing sound waves. This neutralizes unwanted noises in the cabin, and ensures a quieter, more peaceful ride.

These engine isolation and active sound control measures mean the system will never be more audible than any residual wind and road noise generated through driving. Combined with quiet tires, carefully tuned suspension systems, acoustic glass, and other passive soundproofing measures, vehicles equipped with the new gas-generated EV powertrain will offer a supremely serene ride, whatever the conditions.

INFINITI in the era of electrification

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – INFINITI’s future models will offer drivers a choice of electrified powertrains as the brand embraces new technology to propel its vehicles. These include fully-electric systems, as well as a gas-generated EV system (known as e-POWER at Nissan) in which a gasoline engine generates electrical power stored in a battery, which can then be delivered to all four wheels through a pair of high-output electric motors. These powertrains will be matched with dedicated platforms and vehicle architectures, delivering the high performance, range confidence and reduce environmental impact that buyers are coming to expect from premium car manufacturers.

To illustrate the brand’s powertrain development direction, INFINITI has revealed a trio of concept cars in recent years: the Q Inspiration, Qs Inspiration and QX Inspiration. Emblematic of INFINITI’s plans, these three concepts call on forward-looking technology and daring design to reflect the brand’s ethos. Electrification is a natural next step for the company and presents an opportunity for INFINITI to redefine its brand through high-performance, low-emissions models that offer a thrilling yet serene driving experience, and total range confidence.

Two powertrains, one platform
The fully-electric and gas-generated EV powertrain options will be matched with dedicated platforms and vehicle architectures under INFINITI’s new ‘two powertrains, one platform’ approach to model development. This will see the creation of platforms which can accommodate both types of powertrain, with a high level of commonality between each.

Delivering battery power to a high-performance e-AWD (electric all-wheel drive) system, the platforms of all INFINITI’s future electrified cars will be engineered to accommodate a pair of high-output electric motors – one on the front axle, one on the rear. For electric vehicles, the space between the two axles will house a high-capacity battery pack, while gas-generated EV models will feature a significantly smaller battery pack, accompanied by a fuel tank and exhaust system connected to a front-mounted VC-Turbo gasoline generator that powers the battery pack. For all models, drive will be provided solely by electric motors.

Powerful and serene design
Electrification doesn’t just represent a powertrain revolution for INFINITI, but an evolution in design too. INFINITI design will adopt a new form language for the era of electrification. Dubbed ‘powerful serenity’, this will manifest itself in cars that look progressive, serene and powerful, embodying electrified performance. The result is an incredibly expressive design, with expansive, muscular surfaces and clear, concise lines inspired by origami, the Japanese art of paper folding.

Unshackled from the need to accommodate an internal combustion engine as the principal means of propulsion, the physical proportions of future INFINITI vehicles can be transformed. Engineers have more freedom configuring the mechanical layout of the car, with motor-driven wheels eliminating the need for drive shafts that intrude on cabin space in a conventional car.

The era of electrification will therefore enable INFINITI designers to adapt the proportions of future vehicles and create more spacious, lounge-like cabins. The brand’s new ‘powerful serenity’ form language will give these cars a memorable visual identity – inside and out.

For 30 years INFINITI has built a reputation for adopting new technologies that give confidence to drivers, with designs that harness and give aesthetic expression to these innovations. As INFINITI looks to the future, the age of electrification presents an opportunity for the brand to lead car design into a new, eye-catching era.

Electrification and the evolution of INFINITI design

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – As INFINITI looks to the future and the roll-out of a series of electric and electrified vehicles, the brand will also see a change in the way its cars are designed.

Over the three decades since INFINITI was first established, the design of the brand’s vehicles has transformed. Cars have evolved as tastes and expectations have changed, and as new trends have emerged, such as the rise in popularity of SUVs and crossovers. Innovations in assembly techniques, vehicle architecture, and aerodynamics have also played a role in progressing the look of INFINITI vehicles.

Despite these changes, design adaptations have been evolutionary rather than revolutionary. Vehicle platforms and the design on top have predominantly revolved around a car’s powertrain – the internal combustion engine – accommodating an engine, fuel tank, transmission and drive shafts.

Everything in proportion
Powertrain electrification, however, marks a significant moment in car design, with designers no longer shackled by the mechanical layout of a traditional powertrain. Not required to design a vehicle around the internal combustion engine, propshaft, fuel tank or transmission, designers have the freedom to offer more efficient packaging and new vehicle proportions.

As it creates its next generation of vehicles, INFINITI is seizing this opportunity, echoing the character of powerful and serene new electric and electrified powertrains in the very design of its cars. While the aesthetics of the brand’s cars have always been defined by the engines under the hood, future designs will hint directly at the potency and character of INFINITI’s electrified powertrains.

Fundamental to this is a shift in the very proportions of the vehicle. INFINITI’s famous V6 gasoline engines have historically resulted in a long hood and a cab-rearward silhouette. In future, electrification will cause an evolution in the structure of the car, with low-mounted batteries likely to raise the driving position – while lowering the center of gravity at the same time.

The 2019 INFINITI Qs Inspiration Concept, for example, introduces a distinctive new body style which challenges the accepted ‘three-box’ sedan layout. Previewing a future production vehicle from the brand, the concept’s electrified powertrain presents the notion of a sports sedan which is as engaging and enjoyable to drive as any conventional car. With a low center of gravity and powerful e-AWD system, paired with a commanding, elevated driving position, the car suggests how electrification could allow INFINITI to reinvent the ‘traditional’ sports sedan for the future.

Ma
As vehicle proportions evolve, so too will the design details. Signaling the nature of new electric or electrified powertrains, INFINITI is adopting a new ‘Powerful Serenity’ form language for the era of electrification. Inspired by recent concepts such as the QX Inspiration and Qs Inspiration, future INFINITI models will look as progressive, seamless and powerful as their electrified powertrains. This form language will be infused with Japanese DNA, drawing upon the culture and modern architecture of INFINITI’s home country.

The brand’s designers took inspiration from the Japanese spatial concept of ‘Ma’, described as an emptiness full of possibilities, potential and anticipation. Applied to INFINITI’s upcoming electric vehicles, designs will emphasize the smooth, muscular spaces between the sharp, sheer lines of the bodywork, building visual anticipation for the electrified performance within. What happens between these lines is truly expressive; empty spaces which carry the loudest message. Utilizing the ‘Ma’ philosophy will ensure all future INFINITI cars feature svelte, graceful and uncluttered designs. Further Japanese influences will include body surfaces and creases inspired by origami, the Japanese art of folding paper, and technical ‘kimono fold’ patterns, inspired by the straight lines that typify modern Japanese architecture.

This form language serves a practical purpose, too. With no cool air required to cool an engine, future INFINITI models will do away with traditional air intakes at the front of the car. Instead, cars will display the outline of a grille, proudly bearing the company’s logo, while air will be channeled around the body for aerodynamic efficiency, essential for helping to preserve battery life and increasing range.

Lounge-like interiors
Opening the doors on INFINITI’s most recent concept cars reveals the packaging benefits brought by electrified powertrains. With less space required for engines, and the flat packaging of a battery pack beneath the floor, INFINITI will be able to create larger, more spacious cabins – lounge-like interiors which provide more passenger space and comfort.

INFINITI has always sought to create interior spaces that enhance the driving experience, while cossetting passengers. The brand’s recent Qs Inspiration and QX Inspiration concept cars have shown the potential for this approach in future, with beautiful, handcrafted interiors. Spacious and comfortable for occupants, they remain focused on connecting drivers to the car and road ahead, empowering them with a clear view and a powerful, serene driving experience.

The brand’s latest concept vehicles – Q Inspiration, Qs Inspiration and QX Inspiration – each represent INFINITI’s desire to continually challenge tradition and discover ‘the new’. This is familiar territory for a company that launched the FX in 2002, the world’s first sports crossover – and a car which evolved beyond the established ‘two-box’ SUV design trends of the late 1990s.

INFINITI has spent 30 years looking forward with its designs, and powertrain electrification opens new doors for the brand as it transforms how its cars will look in future.

INFINITI celebrates 30 years of looking forward

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – This year INFINITI celebrates 30 years of looking forward. Since its launch in November 8, 1989, INFINITI has introduced new technologies, daring designs, and innovations that have delivered significant advances in the automotive industry. The brand now lays out its future vision as it moves into the era of electrification.

“In 2019, we are marking over three decades of INFINITI history by looking to the future,” comments Mike Colleran, Vice Chairman, INFINITI Motor Company. “Our approach has never been to adopt a nostalgic view of the past, but we are nevertheless proud of what the brand has achieved in the last 30 years. We have launched world-first driver assist technologies and performance hybrid powertrains. We have designed cars which have led to the creation of all-new global vehicle segments. We even rewrote the rulebook around customer care, with a model that delivered the first total ownership experience to customers.

“As we look ahead to the future, we will capitalize on a range of exciting opportunities to re-establish the INFINITI brand’s reputation for innovation and challenging convention in the premium car segment,” continues Colleran. “We will deliver thrilling electric and electrified powertrains, performance-enhancing driver assist technologies, and a range of vehicle designs unlike anything else on the road. For 30 years, the INFINITI logo has reflected our desire to look to the road ahead. While we take a brief look back at what we have achieved to-date, we are just as excited as ever about the opportunities that lie ahead for INFINITI.”

Horizon Task Force
INFINITI was conceived from an exclusive team in Japan called the Horizon Task Force, established by Nissan Motor Company in 1985 to occupy a void in the luxury car segment. The brief, ‘Luxury, redefined’, led to the creation of a brand which placed greater importance on delivering a personal and rewarding driving and ownership experience than any other premium car maker.

More than simply selling a car, INFINITI has always offered a total ownership experience. This meant being the first vehicle brand to offer loan vehicles to owners dropping their own cars off for service, as well as trip interruption protection and roadside assistance. INFINITI blazed a trail when it introduced these ownership benefits in 1989, many of which are now taken for granted by buyers in the volume and premium segments. INFINITI maintains this ethos today, offering customers an award-winning ownership experience which has evolved to meet changing customer needs and expectations in key markets around the globe.

World-first technologies
For 30 years, INFINITI has had technological innovation at its core, with a history of developing world-first technologies that have enhanced owners’ driving experiences for the last three decades. The brand remains true to this ideal today.

From launching the world’s first fully-active suspension in 1989, INFINITI has since introduced a series of world-first driver assistance technologies such as the RearView Mirror or back-up camera (2001), Lane Departure Warning (2005) and Around View Monitor (2007).

This innovation has extended to the powertrains found in INFINITI cars, such as the brand’s award-winning naturally-aspirated, performance-hybrid and twin-turbo V6 engines. Most recently, INFINITI launched the world’s first production-ready variable compression ratio engine, dubbed VC-Turbo.

INFINITI now enters its fourth decade with a renewed vision for innovation in which driver empowerment goes hand-in-hand with high-performance electrified power. Future models will offer drivers a choice of electrified powertrains as the brand embraces new technology to propel its vehicles. These comprise fully-electric powertrains, as well as a gas-generated EV system in which a VC-Turbo engine generates electrical power delivered to all four wheels through a pair of high-output electric motors (known in Nissan as e-POWER). These electric all-wheel drive (e-AWD) powertrains will deliver the high performance and complete range confidence that buyers are coming to expect from premium car manufacturers. The brand’s new ‘two powertrains, one platform’ approach to model development will also see the roll-out of dedicated platforms which can accommodate both fully-electric and gas-generated EV powertrains.

Electrified by design
Throughout INFINITI’s 30 years in existence, design has been a crucial factor in the popularity of its cars, and the reputation INFINITI has established. From the brand’s launch to the present day, cars such as the Q45 and the FX have broken the mold with powerful, elegant, segment-defying designs.

Powertrain electrification will also lead to a revolution in design too. INFINITI’s new form language for the era of electrification, ‘powerful serenity’, will lead to the creation of production cars that look as progressive, serene and powerful as their electrified powertrains. Inspired by the culture and modern architecture of Japan, INFINITI’s home country, the brand’s designers are working on a series of striking, expressive designs.

Due in the early 2020s, these cars are informed by the brand’s most recent concept vehicles, such as the 2019 Qs Inspiration and QX Inspiration. With a memorable visual identity, and spacious, lounge-like cabins enabled by new electrified powertrains, future INFINITI designs will continue to challenge accepted norms in the same way the brand’s cars have always done.