At the technical briefing for Nissan's revolutionary new Leaf electric vehicle in Japan last week, the press department flashed some images interspersed between reams of diagrams and figures expounding the Leaf's virtues. One of those images was a sketch the long rumored Infiniti EV the automaker is developing.

As far back as last October's Tokyo Motor Show, Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn hinted that a stylish, compact, performance-oriented four-seat Infiniti with zero emissions was being developed in Japan. Expected to be based on a modified version of the Leaf platform but with a slightly more powerful motor, the Infiniti EV illustration at least looks to employ intriguing design elements -- like the C-pillar -- from the Infiniti Essence first seen at the Geneva show in 2009.

The vehicle is expected to be roughly in the same size class as the BMW 1 Series and Audi A3, and may also have a gas-powered engine option in order to broaden its sales potential. Don't expect to see the Infiniti EV on the road for several years yet, but with its Leaf underpinnings, it shouldn't be that big of a stretch to bring it to market.