Infiniti electric car dies before reaching Detroit auto show stage

Amy Huschka
Detroit Free Press

People attending the Detroit auto show wanted to get a glimpse into what an all-electric Infiniti luxury SUV will look like as Nissan's luxury brand attempted to unveil the QX Inspiration concept.

Karim Habib, Executive Design Director, Infiniti Motor Company, stands on stage and announces that the Infiniti  QX Concept vehicle will not be coming out on stage at the moment due to a technical problem at its reveal at the 2019 North American International Auto Show during Media preview days on January 14, 2019 in Detroit, Michigan.

Instead, Karim Habib, executive design director, Infiniti Motor Co., announced the concept would not be coming out on stage because of a technical problem at its reveal at the 2019 North American International Auto Show during media preview days Monday in Detroit. 

Infiniti Motor Co. then tweeted, "Coming soon."

Sometimes product announcements don't go as planned. The concept car did exit a cordoned off, makeshift reveal room, but sputtered and stalled shortly after exiting it and didn't make it to the stage.

The concept car did take the stage hours later.

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With a battery below the floor and electric motors on all four wheels, the Inspiration's passenger cabin is moved forward for more "lounge-like" interior space.

It has a low roof line sloping from front to back with small side windows. Infiniti wouldn't say how far the Inspiration can go on a single charge, but said it will offer "range confidence." 

No date for production has been set, and it's not certain whether the Inspiration will even be made. But Infiniti has said it plans to make only electric or gas-electric starting in 2021.

More than 5,000 credentialed journalists from around the world are expected to attend the media preview. More than 750 vehicles are on display in Cobo Center in Detroit during the show with approximately 800,000 people expected to attend. The show is open to the public on Jan. 19-27.

Contact Amy Huschka at ahuschka@freepress.com or follow on Twitter: @aetmanshuschka.  The Associated Press and Getty Images contributed to this report.