Kia has just taken the wraps off the Ray EV, its first production electric vehicle. It is based on the recently-introduced Ray minivan and the two will be produced on the same assembly line.
The Ray EV weighs 412 pounds more than its gasoline-powered counterpart. It is powered by a 50 kilowatt motor that is rated at 123 lb-ft of torque, enough to propel the minivan from zero to 62 miles per hour in a lackadaisical 15.9 seconds. Maximum velocity is reached at 80 miles per hour.
The lithium-ion batteries are rechargable in six hours and are mounted under the Ray’s floors. They have an autonomy of 86 miles.
The Ray EV comes standard with a GPS system that indicates where the nearest charging station is. There are currently about 500 charging stations in South Korea, a number that is expected to grow to 3,100 by late 2012.
Another interesting bit of technology packed into the Ray EV is what Kia calls the Virtual Engine Sound System. When the vehicle is in reverse or traveling forwards at 12 miles per hour or less, a device imitates the sound that a gasoline-powered car would make. This technology has already been utilized by Toyota, among others, and is designed to increase pedestrian safety.
Kia hopes to build 2,500 Ray EVs in 2012. They will only be sold in South Korea and the majority of them will go to city governments as part of a test program.
If the Ray EV’s drivetrain is deemed reliable, Kia could later transplant it into a small hatchback similar to the Venga EV shown at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show.
