Infiniti has yet to target the likes of Tesla Motors with a zero-emission vehicle, but this could change in the near future, as Nissan’s premium brand is mulling a dedicated electric car.
Company president Roland Krueger told Autonews Europe that Infiniti is currently evaluating the development of a pure electric model with its eyes set on China, which became the world’s largest EV market in the world last year, overtaking the USA, thanks to an ongoing government-led campaign that saw massive investments in the field.
“When I think about EV, we design it for China definitely, even as the first market to launch. We are discussing this internally constantly what is the right timing for Infiniti to have such vehicles“, Krueger said.
At the moment, Infiniti offers nine models in the People’s Republic, including five SUVs and four sedans, with six of them running on traditional gasoline engines, and the other three on a hybrid powertrain. A tenth model – the QX30 – will be launched next month, and it could be followed by the production version of the LE sedan concept, shown in 2012.
In the meantime, sales of Infiniti cars have slowed this year in China, but once the QX30 enters the market in November, the brand’s numbers are expected to rise.
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