Infiniti To Build A New Platform For Electrified Vehicles

It’s only been three months since Infiniti unveiled the Q Inspiration concept at the North American International Auto Show but the company has just confirmed plans to build a version of the car’s electrified platform.

Set to arrive within the next five years, the platform will be used on an electrified vehicle that will be built in China. The company was tight-lipped on specifics but the model will be one of five new vehicles that will be made in the country over the course of the next five years.

Speaking at an Auto China preview event in Beijing, Infiniti Global President Roland Krueger said “Infiniti is developing a new platform for electrified vehicles inspired by the Q Inspiration concept car, which shows the new design language for the age of autonomy and electrification.” He went on to say “We very much had China in mind when designing the Q Inspiration, which shows a very sporty, performance-oriented electric concept, with a much bigger interior space.”

The car won’t be a production version of the Q Inspiration as the concept was created to showcase Infiniti’s new design philosophy and future technologies. The model featured a VC-Turbo four-cylinder engine which sent power to the ground via a front-biased all-wheel-drive system.

While little is known about the production model, Infiniti said today’s announcement reaffirms their “commitment to electrification.” The automaker says this will pave the way for vehicles with “increased performance and fuel economy” as well as lower emissions.

Infiniti has previously announced plans to launch its first electric vehicle in 2021. It will be sold alongside a handful of electrified models which use the company’s e-POWER system. Vehicles with e-POWER technology will have a small gasoline engine that charges a high-output battery. The battery then powers an electric motor.