Global automakers see electrified luxury cars as vital to being Tesla-competitive, government mandate-compliant, and standing out as high-performance innovative carmakers. Product announcements this week from Nissan’s Infiniti luxury brand and Volkswagen’s Porsche division tap into a larger story from last year. While global automakers are watching what Tesla is up to, an announcement in July by near-luxury brand Volvo seems to have had just as much impact on new vehicle product planning. The Japanese automaker is working to position Infiniti as the premier electrified brand in a five-year plan that will extend through 2022, according to Nissan CEO Hiroto Saikawa . These new Infiniti models will either be all-electric or will use its “e-power” hybrid system that creates power through an electric battery and a small gasoline engine. Infiniti said it will introduce its first all-electric vehicle in 2021. The luxury brand expects that more than half of its […]