Infiniti LE Pure-Electric Concept
06-03-13, 04:33 AM
#16
Update
Infiniti's new boss is calling for new priorities.
Less than a year into his job as president of Nissan Motor Co.'s premium marque, Johan de Nysschen is tempering expectations that Infiniti will nearly triple sales in four years.
But de Nysschen remains committed to rapid growth, so he is putting a priority on new models that can deliver quick volume. That means deferring plans for an electric vehicle.
In addition, the halo cars he plans above the current lineup will be toned down from the dramatic sports-car concepts displayed at recent auto shows. They will be more practical, not pure performance offerings, he said.
The dial back may put de Nysschen at odds with Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn, who recruited the mustachioed South African from Audi last summer. Ghosn assigned de Nysschen the task of cranking Infiniti's global sales to 500,000 units in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2017. Infiniti sold just 170,000 last year.
"I'm under absolutely no illusion -- 500,000 cars by 2017 is an inordinately ambitious challenge," de Nysschen, 53, said in an interview. "We really do have to get our heads around how we can bring the brand in that direction."
To hit that target, he's plowing new investment into starting Infiniti production in China and England and shepherding the launch of volume nameplates, such as an entry-level compact to debut in 2015.
De Nysschen also is pouring resources into at least 2 halo nameplates above the current flagship M sedan, which will be renamed the Q70. Offering the 1st public details on those plans, he said those cars will appear by 2020 and be based on the same platform.
The cars will be "high-performance luxury cars, not a sports car," he said. They also will not be variants of a flagship sedan competing in the same space as the Mercedes-Benz S class.
"It will be more Porsche Panamera-like than BMW 7 series-like," he said. "We could then quite conceivably use the same platform to create a more compact 2+2, 2-door coupe that could perhaps just dial up the performance and design appeal."
The cars will be of the same ilk as the swept-back Essence concept hybrid coupe unveiled at the 2009 Geneva auto show, he said. The cars will share drivetrains but get different bodies.
What the halos won't be, he said, is a "true thoroughbred sports car" as foreshadowed by the curvy midengine Emerg-E hybrid concept that debuted in 2012 at Geneva.
Meanwhile, de Nysschen has deferred an Infiniti EV launch from the original 2014 timeline, partly because slow-selling EVs won't help him reach the half-million sales target.
A Q50 sedan rolls off final assembly in Tochigi.
No green light
"There will be an Infiniti EV. The question is one of timing," de Nysschen said. "We have a whole host of product priorities. We have to make very substantial investments now, and it's important that we expand our volume footprint quite quickly."
At the 2012 New York auto show, Infiniti unveiled a 5-passenger LE concept electric sedan. Then in December 2012, the brand said it would launch an all-electric Infiniti -- the brand's counterpart to the Nissan Leaf -- in 2014. De Nysschen says that's on hold now.
"There has been no formal decision yet within the company to give the project the green light and let them start with investment," de Nysschen said of the EV. "In my evaluation of our business strategy, I introduced a whole bunch of additional considerations."
Ghosn's EV ambitions pose a challenge for Infiniti. Ghosn has said he hopes to sell 1.5 million EVs across the range of Nissan, Infiniti and Renault by 2016. The company has spent billions of dollars toward that goal. But cumulative sales so far are short of 100,000 units.
A cautious de Nysschen is balancing an Infiniti EV project against resources needed by other products, such as a halo car.
He said it is "quite an easy decision" to prioritize a product that will cultivate "brand positioning" and "expand our market footprint" over a car that has "perceived progressive technology but is not helping to expand the volume base."
"We had so many priorities," he said. The proposed Infiniti EV "was 1 where I said, 'Look, I need a little more time.'"
The outlook for EVs is clouded by the lack of a charging infrastructure, uncertainty about future government incentives and questions about where China stands on the technology, de Nysschen said. Rapid technological advancements in batteries also risk making an Infiniti EV quickly obsolete.
"We need to re-evaluate our assumptions," he said. "It would not be so smart to introduce a car when perhaps 12 or 18 months down the road you have all-new battery technology."
Volume vs. profit
If Infiniti falls short of 500,000, he said, it will be because it can't sell that volume profitably: "I will not put volume before profit."
Ghosn said recently that Infiniti's contribution to Nissan Motor's operating profit was "practically erased" in the past 2 years by the strong yen, which hammered margins on Japan-made exports. But the sharp weakening of the Japanese currency this year should put Infiniti back in the black.
De Nysschen said he won't be upset, "if we don't deliver 500,000 cars by 2016, 2017, 2018, as long as directionally at least we are moving there."
But, he said, "If we are still selling less than 200,000 cars by that time, then you will know the plan has gone wrong, big time."
06-03-13, 09:13 AM
#17
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They are getting to be like Acura with all this talking for the sake of talking.....meanwhile they didn't even sell 8k units here last month, their biggest market by far.
This is telling
Wow the brand is basically in the red and bringing nothing to the table in regards to profits to Renault. In comparison Lexus brings in 50% and higher of the profits to Toyota.
This is telling
Ghosn said recently that Infiniti's contribution to Nissan Motor's operating profit was "practically erased" in the past 2 years by the strong yen, which hammered margins on Japan-made exports. But the sharp weakening of the Japanese currency this year should put Infiniti back in the black.
06-03-13, 09:56 AM
#18
Lexus Test Driver
That Interior is Honestly the best looking so far. I doubt that Inifinity has the Ability to pull this one off for production. The only Japanese Giant that has so much to invest in would be Toyota, and Toyota already saying that they will not produce EV, but PHEV instead.
Anyways, if Nissan can stand the losses of the GTR Together with this LE concept. I am sure this one will sell well, just as long as it is not over 50K, otherwise it is getting into Tesla League
I have to say that in the EV Category, Tesla is really holding it candle pretty well. This will make all the Car makers think Twice before releasing their PHEV or EV for more than 70k.
Because Tesla is a Pure EV with high-performance already.
This is the reason why I am loving American. Seeing the C7 Pissing off the next Gen Japanese High Performance Sport Coupe, and Force them to think twice before release, together with Tesla in the EV category.
It is Awesome !
Anyways, if Nissan can stand the losses of the GTR Together with this LE concept. I am sure this one will sell well, just as long as it is not over 50K, otherwise it is getting into Tesla League
I have to say that in the EV Category, Tesla is really holding it candle pretty well. This will make all the Car makers think Twice before releasing their PHEV or EV for more than 70k.
Because Tesla is a Pure EV with high-performance already.
This is the reason why I am loving American. Seeing the C7 Pissing off the next Gen Japanese High Performance Sport Coupe, and Force them to think twice before release, together with Tesla in the EV category.
It is Awesome !
Last edited by Whitigir; 06-03-13 at 10:01 AM.
06-03-13, 10:02 AM
#19
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Posts: n/a
That Interior is Honestly the best looking so far. I doubt that Inifinity has the Ability to pull this one off for production. The only Japanese Giant that has so much to invest in would be Toyota, and Toyota already saying that they will not produce EV, but PHEV instead.
Anyways, if Nissan can stand the losses of the GTR Together with this LE concept. I am sure this one will sell well, just as long as it is not over 50K, otherwise it is getting into Tesla League
I have to say that in the EV Category, Tesla is really holding it candle pretty well.
Anyways, if Nissan can stand the losses of the GTR Together with this LE concept. I am sure this one will sell well, just as long as it is not over 50K, otherwise it is getting into Tesla League
I have to say that in the EV Category, Tesla is really holding it candle pretty well.
What is concerning is they are not making any money and their expansion surely was costly and results have been pretty bad outside of Russia. The JX is doing well here but won't do well most anywhere else due to its size and engine. The Q50 is a huge moment will it stay successful as the G or not. They cannot afford the Q50 to not do extremely well.
08-01-14, 11:04 AM
#20
Infiniti to get LE Leaf-based electric sedan after all
Infiniti suffered a huge blow a few weeks ago when CEO Johan de Nysschen jumped ship after two years on the job to take the helm at Cadillac. As boss, he spearheaded change within the Japanese luxury brand and was among the biggest champions of the Q50 Eau Rouge. However, the company is far from sunk. Plans put in place prior to de Nysschen leaving are still on the table, according to Nissan product planner Andy Palmer to Automotive News, and that could mean a rosy future for the once AWOL LE sedan (pictured above) and other models.
Back in 2012, Infiniti promised that it would have the LE on the market as a premium electric sedan by 2014. It was supposed to share the battery pack with the Nissan Leaf but with a more powerful, 134-horsepower motor. But have you seen one on the road recently? The luxury EV was eventually shelved, but de Nysschen pledged the idea wasn't dead. Maybe now is a better time for it. According to Automotive News, the LE is rescheduled to launch in 2017 or 2018. The latest version would use the Leaf platform but with a more potent, next-gen battery to give it a range over 90 miles.
Of course, the LE isn't the only thing on the way from Infiniti; it also appears to be planning a two-pronged approach for small cars. Palmer recently tweeted that the company would build the forthcoming Q30 hatchback and QX30 crossover in the UK in 2015. Additionally, the automaker is firing up a new joint venture factory in Mexico with Mercedes-Benz; building compact models there starting in 2017. According Automotive News, the Mexican-built models will be more US-focused while the UK-built ones will appeal more to Europeans.
Finally, it looks like de Nysschen's plan for a flagship Infiniti sedan may still see the road too around 2018. It will be called either the Q80 or Q90 and use four-door coupe styling with a turbocharged V6 boasting about 600 horsepower, according to AN. For a guy who is no longer with the company, he appears to still be casting a long shadow over its future products.
Back in 2012, Infiniti promised that it would have the LE on the market as a premium electric sedan by 2014. It was supposed to share the battery pack with the Nissan Leaf but with a more powerful, 134-horsepower motor. But have you seen one on the road recently? The luxury EV was eventually shelved, but de Nysschen pledged the idea wasn't dead. Maybe now is a better time for it. According to Automotive News, the LE is rescheduled to launch in 2017 or 2018. The latest version would use the Leaf platform but with a more potent, next-gen battery to give it a range over 90 miles.
Of course, the LE isn't the only thing on the way from Infiniti; it also appears to be planning a two-pronged approach for small cars. Palmer recently tweeted that the company would build the forthcoming Q30 hatchback and QX30 crossover in the UK in 2015. Additionally, the automaker is firing up a new joint venture factory in Mexico with Mercedes-Benz; building compact models there starting in 2017. According Automotive News, the Mexican-built models will be more US-focused while the UK-built ones will appeal more to Europeans.
Finally, it looks like de Nysschen's plan for a flagship Infiniti sedan may still see the road too around 2018. It will be called either the Q80 or Q90 and use four-door coupe styling with a turbocharged V6 boasting about 600 horsepower, according to AN. For a guy who is no longer with the company, he appears to still be casting a long shadow over its future products.
08-01-14, 11:07 AM
#21
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We will build an electric car
We won't build an electric car
No no we will build an electric car
No no, we won't build an electric car
We will build an electric electric car
No, no we won't build an electric electric car
We will indeed build an electric car
Someone shoot me please
We won't build an electric car
No no we will build an electric car
No no, we won't build an electric car
We will build an electric electric car
No, no we won't build an electric electric car
We will indeed build an electric car
Someone shoot me please
08-01-14, 08:12 PM
#23
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We will build an electric car
We won't build an electric car
No no we will build an electric car
No no, we won't build an electric car
We will build an electric electric car
No, no we won't build an electric electric car
We will indeed build an electric car
Someone shoot me please
We won't build an electric car
No no we will build an electric car
No no, we won't build an electric car
We will build an electric electric car
No, no we won't build an electric electric car
We will indeed build an electric car
Someone shoot me please
Infiniti should focus on other priorities right now, like the QX50, QX70, Q60, & future flagship models. This should not be a priority unless it's going to be a simple rebadge that will add profits and help offset Leaf costs. Then sure, by all means. But it still won't sell (although it could outsell the Acura RLX).
08-01-14, 08:18 PM
#24
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Do us all a favor and go away like Johan did 
25 years of bad news, you must like pain
25 years of bad news, you must like pain
08-01-14, 08:28 PM
#25
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