Infiniti will electrify lineup, debut EV in 2021
It wants more than half its global sales to come from electrified cars by 2025.
Since the Detroit Auto Show is winding down, it's time for automakers to get back to what they do best -- discussing lofty goals for electrifying their entire lineups!
Infiniti announced at the tail end of Detroit that it plans to electrify its lineup starting in 2021. From that point forward, new Infiniti vehicles will be offered with electrified powertrains, whether that means a proper EV or what Infiniti calls an "e-Power" vehicle.
E-power is Infiniti's term for an extended-range electric vehicle, like a range-extended BMW i3 or a Chevrolet Volt. There's a gas engine on board, but its job is to provide charging -- and, thereby, extra range -- to the electric propulsion system. It's unclear if Infiniti will also supply plug-in hybrids and other types of electrification, or if it's limiting itself to EVs and range-extended EVs.
Specifically on the EV front, Infiniti claims 2021 will also be the year the company launches its first battery-electric car, although the company didn't offer any specifics beyond that. It'll be a big deal, though, so I imagine the teasing will start some time around the end of this decade.
Infiniti hopes that its electrified vehicles will comprise more than half of its global sales by 2025, which is a lofty goal, considering that means its buyers would have to leap into its electrified offerings en masse over the course of four short years. Nevertheless, it'll be interesting to see how Infiniti's strategy pans out as we get closer to that date.