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Infiniti

Nissan's presence at this year's Tokyo Motor Show was dominated by talks of future electric vehicles. The world has already been acquainted with the 2011 Nissan Leaf, which will be coming to dealerships late next year. However, the big news from Tokyo is that two additional all-electrics will be joining the Nissan lineup in the coming years.

Both an electric version of the Nissan NV200 light commercial van and an Infiniti sedan EV were confirmed by Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn. Additionally, a fourth electric – based off of the Land Glider concept – may also come to fruition.

Rumors of an Infiniti electric have been circulating for a while now, and though details are scant (the vehicle doesn't even have a name), Nissan promises an electric vehicle that retains the brand's image of "Inspired Performance."

Given that fact, you can bet that the Infiniti EV will be pumping a decent amount of horsepower. Electric vehicles can also generate tons of torque, making the promise of quick acceleration a tantalizing idea for those who like their environmental consciousness with a side of adrenaline.

Likely, the Infiniti all-electric will be based off of the Nissan Leaf's platform. The vehicle will add further diversity to Infiniti's future eco-friendly lineup. A diesel Infiniti will hit the European market in 2010, and an Infiniti M hybrid (pictured near right) is slated for release in the spring of 2011.

The Nissan NV200 brings a maximized cargo area to the electric vehicle market. Billed by Nissan as a "global small van," the small van will be available in three styles – passenger van, cargo van and combi. The vehicle seats up to seven passengers and is based off of Nissan's B-Platform. This is the same platform used for the Nissan Cube.

Nissan NV200s outfitted with traditional gas and diesel engines are already putting around Japan. There is no word yet whether or not the commercial van will hit American shores.

The Nissan Land Glider – a two-seater pod – would be an interesting addition to the Nissan lineup. The vehicle is super narrow, and is designed to have the driver sit in the center of the front cabin area. Also, the vehicle is designed so that the Land Glider can lean into turns (much like a motorcycle). Typically, a concept with that amount of quark never makes it to dealership floors, but it seems Nissan just may buck that trend.

In the last decade, Honda and Toyota have made quite a name for themselves in regards to hybrid electric vehicle technology, but Japan’s third largest automaker, Nissan, has never been a contender among these advanced, fuel-efficient vehicles. That is all set to change following Infiniti’s announcement that it will offer a hybrid version of the all-new M sedan – the 2012 M35 Hybrid. Adding the hybrid powertrain to the new M sedan’s already sexy design should give the Lexus GS some real competition.

Based off the redesigned 2011 M, Infiniti’s first-ever hybrid will pair the M35’s 3.5-liter V-6 engine with a single electric motor that features a twin clutch arrangement. This twin clutch design allows the electric motor to act as a power supplement to the engine in “power assist” mode or act as a generator to charge the battery during deceleration or braking. Powering the motor, Infiniti chose to use a laminated lithium ion battery pack which it claims is the same size as conventional batteries and offers twice the power output. Infiniti also says that the laminating of the batteries will allow the battery pack to cool more quickly. Infiniti says that the M Hybrid will be able to run solely on the electric motor, but specific details regarding battery, motor output and driving range were not released.

The 2012 Infiniti M35 Hybrid will be a major accomplishment for Nissan Motor Company making it the company’s first true hybrid vehicle. Yes, it does offer the current Nissan Altima Hybrid, but not only does that model use Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive system it also is a low-production, limited-availability vehicle. From the electric motor to the battery pack, the system used in the new Infiniti M Hybrid was developed completely in-house. Infiniti says that the 2012 M35 Hybrid will be “the cleanest and most economical car in Infiniti’s history.”

As for the styling of the M35 Hybrid, it looks like Infiniti will resist the urge to overload its car with aerodynamic changes or gaudy stickers, but it will add subtle “hybrid” badges on the decklid and fenders. When it makes its debut, the 2011 M sedan will already be one of the more attractive luxury sedans on the market with a stylish design based on the 2009 Infiniti Essence concept vehicle, and the addition of the “green car” hybrid powertrain surely won’t hurt its visibility among consumers.

Initial sales of the new Infiniti M sedan, which made its official debut at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance earlier this year, are set to commence this spring, and Infiniti says that the M35 Hybrid will debut a year later as a 2012 model. No word yet as to pricing or fuel economy, but we’re guessing the M Hybrid is gunning for the GS 450h which starts just under $57,000 and has respectable EPA fuel economy estimates of 22 miles per gallon in the city and 25 mpg on the highway.