Infiniti boss explains series hybrid strategy

Studying Mitsubishi's findings with plug-in hybrid vehicles like the company's Outlander PHEV has revealed to Infiniti that owners lack the motivation to reduce dependency on fossil fuel, as plug-in hybrids promise.

And in a huge market like China, where Infiniti is doing more and more business, where does the plug-in hybrid owner plug in his or her car to recharge it anyway?

That's essentially the drift from Francois Bancon, Vice-President of Product Strategy for Infiniti, during an extended interview with motoring.com.au earlier this week. In Australia for the launch for the 2018 Infiniti QX80, Bancon highlighted the obvious flaw in the whole plug-in hybrid philosophy.

"What we noticed in many countries [where] people buy plugin hybrids – Mitsubishi is a good example – not many plug [into power outlets].

"So finally, you have the worst case of all.

"That was one of the main reasons we didn’t want to go plug-in hybrid... which, by the way is a good technology; I’m not denying this."

But his message is clear: if you don't recharge the battery every night, a plug-in SUV like the Outlander is actually less fuel-efficient than a conventional Outlander.

Why? Because it's carrying around the extra weight of batteries and an electric motor, and the whole petrol-engine-generating-electricity idea is even worse than black-coal-generating-electricity, if the engine also has to drive the wheels.

In contrast, the series hybrid approach that Infiniti is adopting for all its most frugal models in the intermediate future is much better.

And why is that exactly?

It takes the laziness factor out of the equation, only asking vehicle owners to do what they're used to doing – filling a petrol tank when the remaining range falls low. Then there's the smaller battery pack, which reduces cost and is not as harmful to the environment in the manufacturing process. Finally, the small-displacement engine only generates electricity; it doesn't have to drive through a relatively heavy mechanical transmission to the drive wheels, so it can be light and frugal – running at a constant speed to consume less fuel.

"Our power is not so different from the plug-in hybrid, with the exception that you don’t need to plug-in. We want a Technology that you don’t need to plug in," Bancon explained.

"So we went for series hybrid. That’s going to replace any other powertrain. So no ICE [internal-combustion engine] any more, if we push the limit – not tomorrow morning, but as a direction.

Asked what vehicles in the Infiniti range will end up with the company's e Power (series hybrid) configuration, Bancon hinted that the next Q70, which is believed will be the production version of the Q Inspiration show car (pictured), will the among the first.

"There are many options still open. Probably we are studying now the sedan line up as a priority...

"The timing for the big shift is gonna be 2021, 2022..."

When that happens, he also suggested, it would basically spell the end for the current Q50 sedan, which is a rear-wheel drive platform that shares little with other models in the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance and will cease to comply with emissions regulations in any but a few global markets by that time.