Infiniti - that's Nissan's 'premium' brand, analogous to Toyota's Lexus, but which is not (yet) marketed in South Africa - is working on a high-performance, extended-range electric sports car, due to debut at the Geneva motor show in March 2012, which they say is intended to “ extend the potential for high performance, low emission electric cars”.
This is the better of the two teaser images they've released, but if the rest of the car follows these distinctly Corvette Stingray lines, it's going to be very slinky indeed.
What's a range-extended electric car? It's a battery-powered car with a small(ish) combustion engine running at a steady (and thus very fuel-efficient) speed and load to keep the battery charged way beyond normal range. The best-known example currently in production is the Chevrolet Volt.
Unlike a hybrid, the wheels are always driven by the electric motors; the principle is exactly the same as the familiar diesel-electric locomotive that pulls the Blue Train.
Infiniti executive vice-president Andy Palmer said: “This is our vision for a new kind of premium performance car. Infiniti already has hybrid and clean diesel models on sale. And with an all-electric sedan on the way, the natural next step was to push the boundaries where performance and the environment intersect.”