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What’s Up With Infiniti’s Upcoming Gas-Burning EV?

Infiniti, the luxurious spin-off of Nissan, has long made hybrid cars with a focus on performance over environmental impact. In keeping with this, Peyman Kargar, Infiniti’s new chairman, recently gave an interview with Automotive News about an upcoming e-power vehicle.

There’s a bit to unpack here, since the idea of plug-in hybrids can be quite polarizing. Firstly, Kargar stressed the pipeline ambitions of a new sustainable future for the brand, but then went on to describe an EV that burns gasoline. While that may just sound like a hybrid, it’s not exactly.

We will have a high-performance, exclusive version of e-Power. The name is not yet completely decided, and we will disclose it in a few months. We will have more horsepower — much more — to represent Infiniti because that’s one of the ingredients of the DNA of Infiniti… In the plan, we will have an ICE offering, high-performance e-Power and a pure EV.

Nissan’s e-power tech works in a more simple and intuitive manner than most hybrids. In a standard hybrid, a small gas engine and an electric motor will work in tandem to turn the wheels. In an e-power vehicle, the gas engine works to charge the motor, which in turn powers the wheels.

It’s actually more simple than you’d expect, and honestly makes you wonder why the traditional hybrids were designed that way in the first place.

In the past, Infiniti has striven to make faster, quieter, and more premium vehicles. In keeping with that, expect the same blueprint for e-power, but with a higher power motor, and maybe superior batteries.

I may just hold my breath for a front and back motor, both charged by the same engine. This would match up with Nissan’s new AWD tech, that they’ve been demoing with the Leaf.

This could be just what Infiniti needs, like Polestar’s One, a performance-leaning hybrid that’s barely gas-powered, that will act as a stepping stone to an all electric future.

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