Production will take place at Nissan's Sunderland manufacturing facility and is scheduled to begin in 2015. Infiniti said it will be the first new car brand to be manufactured in the UK on this scale in 23 years.
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According to a news report from German business daily Financial Times Deutschland (FTD), Daimler is mulling building compact Mercedes-Benz passenger cars with partner Renault-Nissan from 2016 in Eastern Europe to further reduce development costs and increase production volumes.
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However, the Renault-Nissan Alliance may be the knight in shining armor that will give the Hethel-based company a new lease on life.
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The UK-designed and built concept had a slightly awkward moment on Friday during the demonstrator laps, as according to a video filmed by YouTube user 'MrDHandZ', it either broke down or ran out of electric juice at some point during the race and was carried away on a truck.
While surely an unwelcome development, one should not forget that the Emerg-e is an advanced study making its first public outing as a fully-functioning model in a race. On the Sunday hill climb, the Emerg-e completed the run in the hands of Red Bull Racing's Australian Formula One pilot, Mark Webber.
Today we learn that Infiniti will perform the world premiere of the first running prototype of the UK-designed and built range-extender supercar concept, the Emerg-E, which premiered in static form at this year's Geneva Motor Show in March.
In fact, the Emerg-E will do more than show up as it will participate in the famed Goodwood hill climb alongside other cars including the Renault Alpine A110-50 Concept.
"The Festival of Speed crowds will be seeing EMERG-E in action for the first time ever, even before many of Infiniti's top executives have seen it," commented Jerry Hardcastle, Infiniti Global Chief Marketability Engineer.
Infiniti said that production of its new entry-level model is slated for 2014 and it will be sold in key markets around the world including Western Europe. The Japanese automaker did not say if it will offer the car in North America.
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While this is the first time we see the concept in the flesh, Infiniti has been talking about the LE since the 2010 Paris Motor Show as it intends to put the car in production within the next two years.
"As a ‘production intent’ concept, most of what you see in the LE Concept will become a reality, including its zero emission powertrain, advanced telematics, cutting-edge design, advanced connected services and premium appointments," said Infiniti Americas Vice President Ben Poore.
As a more upmarket model than the Leaf, the larger LE features a more stylish exterior design full of waves and creases, while also sporting Infiniti's new signature double-arch grille and crescent-cut rear-pillar. The sedan model has a rather low coefficient of drag of 0.25.
Infiniti had revealed its intentions to launch a pure electric family car at the 2010 Paris Motor Show having released a second teaser image on the sidelines of last year's Frankfurt Motor Show.
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Placing the engine in a midship position is not the only novelty introduced by the Emerg-E. It is also the brand’s first model that has been developed in Europe and its first-ever supercar.
The 4,464mm long Emerg-E is powered by a hybrid drivetrain comprising two electric motors, a lithium-ion battery pack, four inverters and a three-cylinder gasoline engine that works as a range extender.
A maximum output of 300kW (402HP) enables it to accelerate from 0-60 mph (0-96 km/h) in 4.0 seconds and from 0-130 mph (0-209 km/h) in 30 seconds. It can also operate in EV-mode alone for up to 30 miles (48 km) and with the help of the internal combustion range extender, it has a driving range of up to 300 miles (480 km).
We will admit that we weren't exactly wowed by the patent renderings, but our opinion change after we laid eyes on the real photos of Infiniti Emerg-E concept.
The Japanese premium brand's study is an impressive looking supercar with what we could even dare to describe as an Italian finesse in its styling. Of course, you'll find Infiniti's latest styling cues such as the pinched rear quarter window and the bulbous front grille, but it all works out nicely.
Infiniti has said that the Emerg-E will be propelled by a mid-mounted range-extender drivetrain comprising an electric motor and an internal combustion engine.
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Though rough around the edges and lacking certain details such as the wheel designs, the greyscale computer generated images outline the shape of the Japanese carmaker's concept for a high-end performance model with the unique characteristic of featuring a range-extender drivetrain mounted in a mid-ship position.
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"The INFINITI EMERG-E will be the first car from the brand to have not only a range-extender drivetrain offering vivid performance with zero emissions capability but also one mounted in a mid-ship package for optimal handling," the company said in a short statement.
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