Infiniti Eyes the Future with Electric Concept Vehicle and New College Design Partnership

Concept images for Infiniti’s first electric vehicle were unveiled Thursday at the North American International Auto Show in Nashville, Tennessee. The QX Inspiration Concept is presently a collection of still-image renderings and 3-D models of the reimagined QX midsize SUV that articulate the design direction of the company’s forthcoming electric vehicle lineup. Infiniti anticipates a full electric lineup of vehicles from 2021 onward.

Full technological integration and an emphasis on form inspired by the principles of modern Japanese design inform the vehicle’s interior and exterior. According to Infiniti, the creased exterior body work is influenced by origami, while the color treatment recalls Japanese lacquerware and ceramic work.

The interior uses unconventional materials and an interpretation of Japanese design aesthetics to reinterpret the possibilities of vehicular interior design. Omotenashi, Japan’s unique approach to hospitality, influences the lounge-like interior.

With the debut of the QX Inspiration Concept, Infiniti also announced a dual partnership with the ArtCenter College of Design in California and Michigan’s College for Creative Studies. The partnership will span four months, led by Alfonso Albaisa, senior vice president of global design at Nissan Motor Co., Ltd, and Karim Habib, executive design director at Infiniti Motor Company, Ltd. Students will work with Albaisa and Habib to design a future SUV. The partnership will culminate in May, when two students, chosen by Albaisa and Habib, will be selected for an internship opportunity at Infiniti’s Global Design Center in Kanagawa, Japan.  

“The collaboration with the ArtCenter College of Design and College for Creative Studies comes at the perfect time for Infiniti,” said Albaisa. “I cannot be more honored to have the opportunity to work with future talent as they enter the beginning phases of their automotive design career. Our design teams are challenging themselves daily and this experience will allow for us to all gain a new perspective on design throughout the challenge.”