Last July, Infiniti discontinued the Q70 Hybrid. Prior to that, the QX60 hybrid crossover was given the axe last year. With both out of the picture, the sole remaining hybrid in the luxury automaker's lineup was the Q50 Hybrid. Until now.
According to Green Car Reports, Infiniti has unceremoniously discontinued the Q50 Hybrid sedan for the 2019 model year. The non-hybrid versions will continue. As of now, there are no longer any hybrid vehicles in Infiniti's lineup. However, Infiniti is not giving up on electrified vehicles by any means. It previously announced plans to launch a lineup of nearly all electrified vehicles by 2021. The Q50 Hybrid, however, launched back in 2013 and didn't appear to be a particularly strong seller.
In fact, Infiniti did not even report sales for the Q50 and Q70 Hybrids separately, indicating the weak figures. The Q50 Hybrid is powered by the familiar 3.5-liter V6 as well as an electric motor for a combined output of 360 hp. EPA test results rated the sedan at 29 mpg combined for front-wheel-drive versions and 28 mpg combined for all-wheel drive.
So, what's next for Infiniti in the electrified vehicle department? In this day and age it can't remain without something electric or hybrid/plug-in hybrid for very long. As stated above, new EVs and PHEVs are due very soon. The Q50 Hybrid was simply outdated and no longer competitive, so why continue spending money building it and having it take up space on dealership lots?
In place of the Q50, Q70, and QX60 Hybrids, expect to see production versions of electric cars based on the Q Inspiration concept coming to market by 2023. These vehicles will be in addition to the 2021 model year goal for electrified versions (not necessarily pure EVs) of other upcoming new models. With the Q50 Hybrid now out of the picture, it's clearly Infiniti will soon no longer build internal combustion engined models configured after the fact for a hybrid system.
Like nearly all other automakers, Infiniti is now fully invested in developing electrified and hybrid powertrains from the get-go.