Two years ago, Infiniti executives looked at design proposals for an electric car and didn't like what they saw--a lightly reworked Nissan Leaf.
Infiniti's bosses are much happier today. Nissan's luxury brand unveiled the dramatically styled LE concept Thursday at the New York auto show.
The
Infiniti LE uses the Leaf platform, keeps its 106.3-inch wheelbase and
gets a more powerful, 134-hp version of the Leaf's electric drivetrain.
But the similarities stop there.
Whereas the Leaf is a five-door
hatchback, the LE is a four-door sedan with flowing lines that have
become a signature of Infiniti styling the past few years. Infiniti says
the LE concept has a 0.25 coefficient of drag.
The Infiniti LE is
nearly a foot longer than the Leaf at 186.4 inches and is nearly 2
inches wider at 71.1 inches. But its roofline is 2.5 inches lower than
the Leaf's at 58.5 inches.
The shared platform stores its
lithium-ion batteries in the floor to create more room in the cabin and
lower the car's center of gravity. The Infiniti LE's 34-kilowatt-hour
battery pack gives the car a range of about 100 miles.
The LE
concept showcases a wireless inductive charging system, similar to that
used by some cell phones. The car's battery pack can be recharged by
parking over a charging pad embedded in the garage floor. The concept
car also uses Nissan's Around View Monitor, electric power steering and
self-parking technology to automatically align the car with the charging
pad.
Infiniti Americas chief Ben Poore said it is possible the
wireless charging system could be used on the production version of the
LE.
Infiniti also includes a 50-kilowatt quick charger for traditional conductive charging.
The
LE concept's 100-kilowatt motor (compared with the 80-kilowatt motor in
the Leaf) cranks out 240 lb-ft of torque, turning the front wheels. The
LE's front suspension uses MacPherson struts, coil springs and a
stabilizer bar. Out back is a torsion-beam axle and double-piston
shocks. The concept is fitted with 19-inch wheels and 40-series
low-rolling-resistance tires.
The interior uses an electronic
cluster that combines digital and analog gauges. The display in the
center stack uses an Intel Atom processor for computing power. Luxury
touches abound, from wood trim on the instrument panel to
leather-covered seats. And at least for the concept, at night the LE
interior can be bathed in blue mood lighting. The blue light theme is
repeated along the bottom edge of the car's exterior.
Nissan is
set to launch production of the Leaf at its plant in Smyrna, Tenn.,
later this year. With Nissan on Thursday saying it plans to move
Infiniti production out of Japan due to unfavorable currency exchange
rates with the yen, the production version of the Infiniti LE could also
come from Tennessee.
Gallery :
0 komentar:
Speak up your mind
Tell us what you're thinking... !