2012 New York Auto Show Debut: 2012 Infiniti LE Concept

Infiniti has come out with some beautiful concept cars lately, but the 2012 Infiniti LE Concept is actually expected to make it from drawing board to driveway. About the same size as the current Infiniti G Sedan, the LE Concept proves that EVs don't have to be small, compact city cars, and at the same time its design is still very aerodynamic with a drag coefficient of just 0.25. Speaking of its slippery design, the overall styling of the LE Concept is very fluid like with intricate and detailed ripples carved into the just about every body panel. Aside from the numerous LED accents and the hidden door handles, this design could carry over quite easily from concept to production... oddly enough, even the door mirrors look ready for daily driving. Going against the concept car grain, the LE Concept looks even more production-ready inside than its exterior. The LE Concept breaks from the current Infiniti interior design language with a blacked-out center stack and an EV-specific gauge cluster, but the two-tier instrument panel and rich, lightly colored leather interior are unmistakably Infiniti.

The 2012 Infiniti LE Concept is powered by a similar electrical system found in the Nissan Leaf only with slightly more output for a sportier luxury sedan feel. The LE Concept uses a 24 kwh lithium-ion battery pack helping produce enough power for a 100-mile driving range, but the big news for this concept car is the Wireless Charging System. This system uses inductive energy flow meaning that the car just has to be positioned over the charging area to replenish the battery supply (no power cords needed), but for trips away from the house, a cord can still be connected to the charging port located behind the front Infiniti logo.

As of yet, no other luxury automakers have come this close to production for an all-electric model, but BMW, Audi and Cadillac will all be fighting to be one of the first to deliver a zero-emission luxury sedan. Look for the 2012 Infiniti LE Concept to be the first electric luxury sedan on the market.

Zero-emission electric vehicles have gained a reputation for being designed for aerodynamics rather than aesthetics, but the 2012 Infiniti LE Concept proves that both can coexist in a stunning and sleek design filled with all of the amenities expected from a luxury car. Even better than its styling, Infiniti expects to have a production version of this concept car on the road within the next two years, and, according to Nissan President and CEO Carlos Ghosn, the concept is 85 percent accurate to what the real car will look like.

Original photos by Jeffrey N. Ross