Kia unveils Naimo electric vehicle concept at Seoul

The Naimo electric concept. Click to enlarge.

Kia staged the world premiere of the Naimo electric concept car at the Seoul Motor Show. Taking its name from the Korean word “Ne-mo”, meaning “square shape”, the Naimo electric crossover utility vehicle (CUV) is the third electric vehicle design to be unveiled by Kia Motors Corporation in a year.

Power comes from a PMSM (Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor) electric motor with a maximum output of 80 kW (107 hp) and maximum torque of 280 N·m (207 lb-ft), enabling Naimo to reach a top speed of 150 km/h (93 mph). A twin-pack 27 kWh battery is located under the trunk floor and uses LiPoly (Lithium Ion Polymer) technology.

Equipped with this battery, Naimo provides a driving range of 200 km (124 miles) on a single charge. To enhance range, the showcar is fitted with special low-drag 20-inch diameter alloy wheels.

Under a quick recharging cycle (50 kW) the Naimo’s battery can be recharged to 80% of its capacity within 25 minutes. Under the normal cycle (3.3 kW), 100% power is attained after five and a half hours.

Kia’s design team also made use of innovative technology features to give the car a premium feel and to ensure the car’s exterior remained uncluttered. For example, Naimo has no traditional wiper blade on the windscreen—instead it employs a high-intensity air jet at the base of the windscreen that performs an air wiper function. Conventional door mirrors have also been replaced with miniature cameras installed in the A-pillars.

The concept car has no B-pillars and features rear-hinged rear doors to maximize easy access to the cabin, and a three-way split opening trunk, allows versatile access to the load bay for varying luggage sizes.

Naimo will join Kia’s test fleet of hybrid, electric and fuel-cell vehicles being driven in widely varying conditions to develop future production models with zero or significantly reduced emissions.

Also appearing on Kia’s Seoul Motor Show stand will be the Venga and POP electric concepts unveiled by Kia last year at major international motor shows in Europe: the Venga at Geneva and the POP at Paris.

The Venga EV concept car was the same size as Kia’s regular B-segment MPV and features an electric powertrain placed within the existing engine bay and a twin-pack 24 kWh battery located under the trunk floor.

Source: Green Car Congress

Introducing the Kia Venga EV Concept

The Geneva Motor Show seems to be a never ending well of new ideas for alternate energy automobiles. Especially surprising this year is the announcement of upcoming hybrid vehicles by high end manufacturers such as Porsche and Ferrari.

From high end all the way to Kia, the hits keep coming as evidenced by this concept called the Venga. This particular model would be a full blown EV and a perfect commuter (112 miles range covers the lion's share of US workers). Let's hope that Kia takes this concept all the way to production.

From Green Car Congress:

The Venga EV concept. Click to enlarge.

Kia introduced its first all-electric plug-in concept car, based on the just-arrived B-segment Venga MPV (earlier post), at the Geneva Motor Show. Venga EV is a front-wheel drive vehicle with the electric powertrain placed within the existing engine bay. The battery pack is located under the trunk floor.

The Venga EV concept car is identical to the regular Venga but features an electric motor producing 80 kW and maximum torque of 280 N·m (206 lb-ft). Venga EV includes a twin-pack 24 kWh battery using LiPoly (Lithium Ion Polymer) technology, and provides a driving range of 112 miles (180 km) on a single charge.

Venga EV is capable of accelerating from standstill to 62 mph in 11.8 seconds, and reaches top speed of 87 mph (140 km/h).

Under the quick recharging cycle (50 kW) the battery can be recharged to 80% of its capacity within 20 minutes. Under the normal cycle (3.3 kW), 100% power is attained after eight hours.

Thew new 98 g/km EcoDynamics cee’d. Click to enlarge.

New cee’d. Kia Motors also revealed a lower CO₂ version of its EcoDynamics cee’d at the Geneva Motor Show. The new model achieves an 11% reduction in emissions down to just 98 g/km, compared with 110 g/km for the current cleanest cee’d.

The five-door hatchback is powered by the new U family 1.6-liter diesel engine, designed and engineered at Kia’s R&D centre in Rüsselsheim, Germany and manufactured in Slovakia. The engine has the latest generation common rail diesel injection system and is fitted with a Variable Geometry Turbocharger.

Maximum power of 90 PS (89 hp, 66 kW) is produced at 4,000 rpm and maximum torque of 235 N·m (173 lb-ft) is available across a wide rev band, from 1,900 to 2,750 rpm. More than 90% of the maximum torque is available from just 1,500 rpm.

In the EcoDynamics cee’d, the engine features improved engine mapping and fuel injection strategy with new software and is fitted with a variable water pump which absorbs less power, a high efficiency alternator with power-saving management system and a Diesel Particulate Filter.

Top gear ratio in the six-speed manual transmission has been raised by 12% from 3.941 to 3.471 to 1, reducing revolutions at high speeds. Both the engine and transmission are filled with low-viscosity lubricants.

Other features and modifications to lower fuel consumption and emissions include:

• Optimized system logic in the stop-start system
• The electric power-assisted rack and pinion steering system requires just 2.69 turns of the wheel from lock-to-lock.
• An Eco Driving Guide—a gear-shift up/down indicator—is displayed in the cabin.
• Aerodynamic enhancements include lowering the suspension by 15 mm; a smooth under-floor is fitted together with airflow deflectors ahead of each tire; and a rear spoiler is positioned on top of the tailgate
• Brake-pad drag on the discs is reduced and the 16-inch diameter alloy wheels are fitted with low rolling resistance 205/55 R16 Michelin tires and are inflated to a higher pressure of 38 psi.

No on-sale date for the revised EcoDynamics cee’d has yet been confirmed.