Infiniti LE

[DuncanWatson]

Because the ICE giants need to maintain product segmentation. They want people to think: EV=commuter, ICE=all-purpose. Otherwise, their franchise is at risk.

I agree with this suspicion. I see this in the way most of the legacy auto manufacturers. It is unfortunate. So much of the infrastructure and technology are already out there for EVs, we just have the final 10% to go for general adoption.

 

[richkae]

Because the ICE giants need to maintain product segmentation. They want people to think: EV=commuter, ICE=all-purpose. Otherwise, their franchise is at risk.

This is the attitude that will allow Tesla to eat their lunch. And their dinner. And their breakfast.

 

[EVNow]

Because the ICE giants need to maintain product segmentation. They want people to think: EV=commuter, ICE=all-purpose. Otherwise, their franchise is at risk.

That makes little sense after $ 5 Billion investment. They want to keep the cost low & use CHAdeMO for longer travel.

 

[AnOutsider]

Still not a fan of the styling. I do hope one of the majors helps standardize some wireless charging though!

 

[Robert.Boston]

That makes little sense after $ 5 Billion investment. They want to keep the cost low & use CHAdeMO for longer travel.

I don't buy it. Drive 70 miles and recharge -- rinse and repeat? Even with CHAdeMO, that's just too tedious for inter-city driving. Even Tesla's 40kWh pack is a commuter pack, not a touring option.

 

[stopcrazypp]

I don't buy it. Drive 70 miles and recharge -- rinse and repeat? Even with CHAdeMO, that's just too tedious for inter-city driving. Even Tesla's 40kWh pack is a commuter pack, not a touring option.

Ditto. Personally I need at least 100 miles EPA of range (that's a semi-regular one way trip for me) for an EV to work for me. I think that will be true for most people. Sure, their commutes might not be that far, but I think plenty of people have occasional trips (a couple of times a month) near 100 miles.

At the very least they should provide it as an option. More companies should follow Tesla's footsteps!

 

[Lloyd]

What's the drop down pooper scooper for in the rear???

 

[AnOutsider]

What's the drop down pooper scooper for in the rear???

It said "Wireless Charging System" on it, so I'm guessing that's the "receiver" for the base on the floor?

 

[EVNow]

I don't buy it. Drive 70 miles and recharge -- rinse and repeat? Even with CHAdeMO, that's just too tedious for inter-city driving. Even Tesla's 40kWh pack is a commuter pack, not a touring option.

Yes - batteries in terms of cost, weight & volume are just not there yet for convinient inter-city driving. No, the ivory tower view of $70k cars being the right answer ins't correct either.

 

[stopcrazypp]

Yes - batteries in terms of cost, weight & volume are just not there yet for convinient inter-city driving. No, the ivory tower view of $70k cars being the right answer ins't correct either.

We're talking about a luxury car here, not the Leaf. The expectations would (rightfully) be higher.

And weight/volume isn't an issue if you pick the right chemistry (Tesla is showing what is possible at the leading edge).

Heck even Coda was able to put a 31kWh pack (with a coming 36kWh option) into a sedan , which was basically a conversion of an existing Chinese sedan (and they were able to offer a reasonable price). I don't see why Nissan/Infiniti can't do even better esp. from heavily modified chassis, a floor battery, and even more money spent on battery research.

Again, hopefully things change for the better by production time.

 

[Doug_G]

Because the ICE giants need to maintain product segmentation. They want people to think: EV=commuter, ICE=all-purpose. Otherwise, their franchise is at risk.

Or maybe they're simply trying to undermine the transition to EVs by ensuring Range Anxiety for all.

 

[GSP]

Very disappointing to see Nissan spending effort to offer wireless charging, to fix the non-problem of plugging the car in.

They should have been working on the real problems of range, acceleration, top speed, and charging speed. With a higher priced car, they could have addressed all of these, but instead they addressed NONE of them.

GSP

 

[EVNow]

We're talking about a luxury car here, not the Leaf. The expectations would (rightfully) be higher.

But cost can't be $70k. Market @ 70k is much smaller than at $40k. 85kWh Model S is simply too small a niche if one is interested in widespread adoption of EVs. It is just a rich man's differentiator.

And weight/volume isn't an issue if you pick the right chemistry (Tesla is showing what is possible at the leading edge).

Not really. Tesla chemistry doesn't lend itself to QC easily. As I've shown in practical examples earlier, a 100 mile range EV + CHAdeMO is more convinient than a 40 kwh Model S for inter-city travel.

Heck even Coda was able to put a 31kWh pack (with a coming 36kWh option) into a sedan , which was basically a conversion of an existing Chinese sedan (and they were able to offer a reasonable price). I don't see why Nissan/Infiniti can't do even better esp. from heavily modified chassis, a floor battery, and even more money spent on battery research.

Coda isn't exactly cheap - nor efficient. We don't know how good their battery is - doesn't have QC.

Again, hopefully things change for the better by production time.

True. Infact, I'm quite sure it will change - as will the 2014 Leaf as was already hinted by some Nissan exec.

 

[qwk]

I'm not surprised at all. There are a few die hard nissan fans that repeatedly posted that the Infinity EV was going to blow the base S out of the water. Well, it didn't even come close. We don't know the price, but I'm willing to bet that it will be at least $10k more than the leaf. What a shame.

This just reinforces my prediction that it will take decades for any major automaker to even come close to the model S specs for anywhere near the same money.

 

[vfx]

... We don't know the price, but I'm willing to bet that it will be at least $10k more than the leaf.
....

Though the price of the leaf was a pleasant surprise. They might do that again.

 

[dpeilow]

Very disappointing to see Nissan spending effort to offer wireless charging, to fix the non-problem of plugging the car in.

I read somewhere that this wireless charger is 50kW. That would be extremely useful in the taxi rank.

 

[vfx]

I read somewhere that this wireless charger is 50kW. That would be extremely useful in the taxi rank.

Yeah, wireless charging is one more barrier to owning an EV gone. A lot of people love the idea of just driving in a garage and that's it. Blows away pump filling.

It's such a great concept I don't even tell anyone it's coming in fear they will delay an EV purchase for it.
Not wasted time in my estimation.

 

[dsm363]

I think this is smart from a marketing standpoint too for Infiniti. When it does decrease charging efficiency, it looks like they've developed it to the point that the hit is only a few percent. It also could be an expensive/high profit option on top of the base car for the automaker. Perfect for taxi waiting lines too outside hotels for example as mentioned above.

 

[jkirkebo]

I read somewhere that this wireless charger is 50kW.

I seriously doubt that. Inductive charging is AC, so it'll have to pass through the cars own charger (unlike CHAdeMO). Even if they fitted the Chameleon charger from Renault it would top out at 43kW and probably only 7.7kW as I don't think the Chameleon charger can do more than 32A on single phase (which inductive charging is).

More probably it has the 6.6kW charger that should appear in the 2013 Leaf.

 

[dpeilow]

I seriously doubt that.

It was via the normally reliable John Voelcker.

Infiniti LE Concept: Electric Sedan Full Details, NY Auto Show

The LE sedan may also pioneer wireless inductive charging, using a 50-kilowatt DC charging pad on the garage floor encasing a coil connected to the power source.

But yeah, you have a point about DC.