Nissan’s luxury brand is finally introducing an electric car

Nissan may have been an early adopter of electric vehicles (EVs), but its luxury brand Infiniti has never offered one. That’s about to change.

Infiniti has unveiled a concept called the Vision Qe that previews an upcoming electric sedan.

It previewed this vehicle alongside the next-generation QX80, a more luxurious version of the Nissan Patrol, as well as the QX65 coupe crossover set to take the Nissan Pathfinder-based QX60 and give it a sleeker, more FX/QX70-like body.

The company has also teased an electric crossover with the Vision QXe concept.

The Vision Qe sedan features sleek, low and wide proportions, with full-width “digital piano key” lighting and lighting that forms the outline of what looks like an enormous, double-segment grille.

A striking accent line gently curves up along the doors to meet the rear fender, while a full-width lighting element forms an arc along the rear and sits above an illuminated Infiniti wordmark.

The distinctive wheels feature a geometric pattern Infiniti says is inspired by the tightly wound coil of an electric motor.

The concept is finished in Shadow Blue paint, which uses a deep blue base coat with gold highlights; other gold highlights can also be found on the car’s exterior.

Blue and gold are the signature colours of the brand’s refreshed visual identity as it overhauls its showrooms. It’s also rolling out a new three-dimensional logo.

Piano key lighting aside, it looks quite different from the EV Infiniti teased early in 2022, which it said would enter production in 2025 alongside a fastback for the Nissan brand.

Infiniti still intends to build this production EV in the Canton, Mississippi plant that currently builds the moribund Nissan Titan pickup truck.

The new products Infiniti has previewed are intended to help boost the brand’s sagging sales.

Last year, Infiniti’s US sales were less than a third the brand’s tally for 2018 following successive declines. The brand has also withdrawn from markets like Europe and Australia to focus on North America, China and the Middle East.

It’s one of the few luxury brands to not offer an EV.

Infiniti had planned to introduce a Nissan Leaf-based compact luxury sedan, but scrapped these plans in 2015.

The brand then revealed a trio of electric concepts between 2018 and 2019, signalling it would launch its first EV in 2021 – a deadline that came and went.

Not only does Infiniti not offer any EVs, it doesn’t even any hybrids following the axing of electrified Q50 and Q70 variants.