Official Infiniti LE thread - early 2017, 60 kWh

[Boomer23]

And a few more:

 

[Herm]

I cant help myself.. that last picture looks hideous :shock:

Boomer, how did it look to you in person?

 

[TomT]

I spent about 15 minutes going around it and looking at it hard from every angle, including peering inside it (and risking the wrath of the booth babes who had left the driver's door unlocked)... Try as I like, I could not bring myself to like it. Among other things, it appears heavy and bulky... My least favorite angles were front and rear on... It would have to have a significantly upgraded range and drive-line from that of the Leaf to garner any consideration from me at all.

I cant help myself.. that last picture looks hideous :shock:

 

[gergg]

I really like the looks of the car, that rear angle/view is not my favorite, but overall the car is very nice to my eyes.

 

[Boomer23]

I cant help myself.. that last picture looks hideous :shock:

Boomer, how did it look to you in person?

I actually like it a lot. It does look rather heavy instead of sleek and light, but I find that the design has grown on me and I like it from most angles. That rear quarter shot does look awkward, but overall, the car is impressive looking.

We'll see what they change in the production model. Certainly the paint that looks like liquid metal on the concept car will change to something much more routine. Overall, I wouldn't be disappointed to climb into this car on a daily basis.

 

[surfingslovak]

Tom Moloughney published a new blog post titled Tesla, Cadillac and Infinity To Compete With BMW For The Premium EV Market. Makes for an interesting read, and he mentions a few things that are relevant to this thread.

 

[Boomer23]

Thanks for the tip, slovak. It's always good to hear updates from Tom, who's at the "tip of the spear" on i3 information.

 

[scottf200]

Wink, Wink: Infiniti LE to Have Greater Range than LEAF, Built In the USA, and Coming Late 2013
by Jay Cole
http://insideevs.com/wink-wink-infiniti-le-to-have-greater-range-than-leaf-built-in-the-usa-and-coming-late-2013/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[LTLFTcomposite]

Wink, Wink: Infiniti LE to Have Greater Range than LEAF, Built In the USA, and Coming Late 2013
by Jay Cole
http://insideevs.com/wink-wink-infiniti-le-to-have-greater-range-than-leaf-built-in-the-usa-and-coming-late-2013/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Should dovetail nicely with the expiration of my Leaf lease. Gotta do something about that grille though.

 

[DeaneG]

Wink, Wink: Infiniti LE to Have Greater Range than LEAF, Built In the USA, and Coming Late 2013
by Jay Cole
http://insideevs.com/wink-wink-infiniti-le-to-have-greater-range-than-leaf-built-in-the-usa-and-coming-late-2013/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Interesting article, but the author got one thing wrong: the Juke is the ugliest Nissan. In any event, Nissan seems to have some kind of internal competition going on for awkward design of the year. At least there is something homelier out there than my shiny white Leaf.

 

[Electric4Me]

Should dovetail nicely with the expiration of my Leaf lease. Gotta do something about that grille though.

If they don't, the aftermarket promptly will!

 

[Boomer23]

Make of this what you will in light of some folks' concern about Carlos Ghosn's future tenure and the continuing commitment of Nissan to EVs, but the new worldwide Infiniti brand president makes a strong statement in this video at Pebble Beach today (at about 12 minutes) about Infiniti's commitment to electrification. He does then move to a discussion of the EmergE super PHEV concept rather than a pure EV, since the LE Concept EV was already discussed in the video, but at least Infiniti's new top dog, only about 45 days into his tenure, is still strongly talking electric cars.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_D0me2Ond4&feature=youtu.be" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[gascant]

Make of this what you will in light of some folks' concern about Carlos Ghosn's future tenure and the continuing commitment of Nissan to EVs, but the new worldwide Infiniti brand president makes a strong statement in this video at Pebble Beach today (at about 12 minutes) about Infiniti's commitment to electrification. He does then move to a discussion of the EmergE super PHEV concept rather than an pure EV, since the LE Concept EV was already discussed in the video, but at least Infiniti's new top dog, only about 45 days into his tenure, is still strongly talking electric cars.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_D0me2Ond4&feature=youtu.be" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Thanks for posting the link. Can hardly wait the 2 years for the LE. I do hope that wireless charging is an option and not standard. The charging dock in the garage works just fine.

 

[surfingslovak]

Thanks for posting the link. Can hardly wait the 2 years for the LE. I do hope that wireless charging is an option and not standard. The charging dock in the garage works just fine.

Won't there be a J1772 receptacle in the grille?

 

[Boomer23]

Thanks for posting the link. Can hardly wait the 2 years for the LE. I do hope that wireless charging is an option and not standard. The charging dock in the garage works just fine.

Won't there be a J1772 receptacle in the grille?

Infiniti rarely shows the concept car with its badge/charge port in the "protrude" mode (please pardon the raw language ), but yes, the badge in the grille does extend and I think it provides both a J1772 and a CHAdeMO connector (note the two white dots in the photo, they look to me like the two large x-shaped nubs in the CHAdeMO receptacle on our LEAFs). I'm sure that Infiniti will have to provide standard charging plugs as well as the wireless charging. I imagine that the latter will be an option, but who knows, the feature is often the first one that they mention when they talk about new tech on the concept.

 

[Stoaty]

Infiniti rarely shows the concept car with its badge/charge port in the "protrude" mode (please pardon the raw language )

You guys are too much! Can't stop laughing. :lol:

 

[Boomer23]

Infiniti rarely shows the concept car with its badge/charge port in the "protrude" mode (please pardon the raw language )

You guys are too much! Can't stop laughing. :lol:

 

[SanDust]

Make of this what you will in light of some folks' concern about Carlos Ghosn's future tenure and the continuing commitment of Nissan to EVs, but the new worldwide Infiniti brand president makes a strong statement in this video at Pebble Beach today (at about 12 minutes) about Infiniti's commitment to electrification.

Amusing. Isn't he the same guy who a year or two ago said that people who bought electric cars were morons?

 

[EVDRIVER]

Make of this what you will in light of some folks' concern about Carlos Ghosn's future tenure and the continuing commitment of Nissan to EVs, but the new worldwide Infiniti brand president makes a strong statement in this video at Pebble Beach today (at about 12 minutes) about Infiniti's commitment to electrification.

Amusing. Isn't he the same guy who a year or two ago said that people who bought electric cars were morons?

Yes, and many other negative remarks about EVs.

 

[sparky]

Amusing. Isn't he the same guy who a year or two ago said that people who bought electric cars were morons?

Yeah, I think he was specifically talking about the Volt; along the lines of: "the Volt is "a car for idiots." and "No one is going to pay a $15,000 premium for a car that competes with a (Toyota) Corolla. So there are not enough idiots who will buy it."
Of course now he heads up a brand that is about getting customers to pay a $10-$15k premium for a re-badged Nissan; so he'll be modifying his talking points I guess. He also repeated the wrong-headed statement about EVs increasing CO2 emissions due to coal generated electricity. He's a German auto guy, that's why Nissan hired him, they want Infiniti to compete better with MB, BMW and Audi. I expect to see an Infiniti diesel soon.

Back to the LE; I hope the LE offers more than wireless charging as a selling point. Specifically, I'd like something akin to a G37 sport with an electric powertrain upgraded for more HP and, at minimum, a 40kWH, liquid cooled battery pack. Dropping a LEAF powertrain into a silver-glazed, leather-stuffed Altima won't cut it for me. I'll spend $50k (before rebate) on a Nissan/Infiniti-EV only if it offers the fun factor of the base-model Tesla-S.