It is sexy. It is sleek. Alas, it is only a concept. What am I rattling about? The Infiniti Emerg-E hybrid design unveiled at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show.
The Infiniti Emerg-E, were it an actual production car, would give nice automakers like Tesla Motors a serious competition for sales in the green car luxury space.
The hybrid, which Infiniti has been teasing for months, is what corporate brand parent Nissan describes as “an electrifying new take on the sports car.” That sounds about right to us.
Infiniti notes that under the hood of the Emerg-E rest 402bhp (300kW) mid-engined, twin motor, electric motors capable of accelerating from 0-60mph in just four seconds – and from zero to 130 mph in a single 30 second burst. It also operates as a “zero emission urban transport over a 30-mile range,” and when the range-extender petrol engine functions in concert with its twin electric motors, it produces a CO2 output of only 55g/km (NEDC cycle).
The 30-mile range is made possible via a quartet of inverters that control the motors and their energy regeneration role under braking, with the recovered power directed to a lithium-ion battery mounted behind the seats. This battery can be recharged from a mains power supply (domestic and fast-charge) and stores sufficient energy for the EV mode only operation.
The first Infiniti developed in Europe, the Emerg-E concept is a two-seater by design, sporting a compact 175.7-inch length and being a sequel of sorts to a previous Infiniti concept known as Etherea. It is part of a project part-funded by the UK Government’s Technology Strategy board, and looks to be a collaboration in-part with Lotus Engineering.
On the exterior this concept sports, among other design touches, crescent-shaped LED illuminations visible during day and night, lateral air intakes, a double arch grille and a liquid silver paint color. This all exists within a lightweight, extruded aluminum chassis unit to which ultra-light carbon fiber panels are attached.
On the inside, the vehicle provides a classic reclined driver seating position, with the cockpit being clearly oriented towards the one behind the wheel.
The center console’s upper surface is angled to present the transmission controls to the driver, said Infiniti, along with a detailed instrument pack that includes a gauge indicating the percentage of total available power.
Moving into the extreme in design touches on this car, features include an integrated, touch-screen display, a semi-aniline leather encasing the dashboard and seats that allows light to shine through and, most crazy of all, bursts of light briefly that streak “around the cabin to provide live confirmation” that the vehicle is ready to go when you start the ignition.
