Rumormill: Infiniti working on premium compact electric car?

According to British auto mag Auto Express, Infiniti is in the midst of designing a new small car that would potentially go up against the BMW 1 Series, Audi A3 and Mercedes-Benz B-Class. Soon, we'll likely be adding a small hybrid hatchback to that mix from Lexus in the vein of the LF-Ch concept shown last month at the Frankfurt Motor Show.

If there's any truth to this rumor, Infiniti is joining Lexus in going green, but instead of adopting a hybrid drivetrain, Nissan's premium brand will reportedly use a fully electric platform. Logic would seemingly dictate that the entry-level Infiniti would be based on the Nissan Leaf electric car, which is slated to begin sales late in 2010.

While we're not convinced the electric Infiniti hatchback is indeed in the offing, it's certainly possible Nissan would extend its small electric platform to its premium nameplate in order to recoup a bit more of its sizable investment into the electric car's technology. If so, expect to see the battery-powered Infiniti hit the market around 2012.

[Source: Auto Express]

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