New Kia Ray is Korea's first production EV

Zach Bowman — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 11:30:00 EST

Filed under: Wagon, Technology, Hatchback, Kia, Electric, South Korea

Kia has unveiled the automaker's very first production electric vehicle. The Kia Ray EV will offer buyers a range of around 86 miles depending on driving conditions and will include a fast-charge option that should top off the cells in around 25 minutes. Otherwise, expect the 16.4 kWh lithium-ion battery pack to take around six hours to charge on a 220-volt circuit. A 50 kW electric motor provides power to the front wheels, which is good enough to get the EV to 62 mph in 15.9 seconds. That may seems slow by most standards, but its worth noting that the internal combustion Ray with its 1.0-liter gas engine makes due with significantly less torque.

Kia says that Ray EV boasts 123 pound-feet of torque, which is 77 percent more than the 1.0-liter machine. The boxy EV also uses a new type of regenerative braking system in which the electric motor generates boost for the hydraulic brake assist - just like on an internal combustion vehicle. The automaker says that the result is a linear brake that still manages to recuperate energy that would otherwise be lost during deceleration. As wonky brake feel is one of our chief sticking points with all EVs, this comes as welcome news.

Kia will manufacture 2,500 Ray EVs for government agency use in Korea, so don't expect to be able to get your hands on one anytime soon. Click past the jump for the full press release.

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New Kia Ray is Korea's first production EV originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 22 Dec 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chevy Volt battery catches fire at NHTSA [UPDATE]

Sebastian Blanco — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 13:29:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Safety, Chevrolet, GM, Electric

As a tipster put it: "Crap."

Even though there is plenty of evidence that the Chevrolet Volt is a safe car (one just protected its occupants in a recent crash with a bus), there are now new and seemingly legitimate worries about the safety of the 16-kWh battery pack after a crash. Bloomberg reports that a Volt that was parked at a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration test center recently caught fire, burning nearby vehicles. The Volt had been put through a side-impact crash test three weeks prior and an official told Bloomberg that investigators determined the battery was indeed the source of the fire. Apparently, NHTSA reps are talking with "all automakers" with lithium-ion vehicle for sale (or coming soon) about the safety of their battery packs.

On the one hand, this is bad news for people who already have worries about the safety of plug-in vehicle. On the other hand, a crashed car, whether powered by gasoline or lithium, isn't exactly a safe item. Given that this fire follows a second garage fire involving a Volt (whose cause has not yet been determined), we expect a spike of "plug-in cars are bad" news soon. Whether this is warranted or not is another question. NHTSA has issued a statement to Bloomberg that said:

Based on the available data, NHTSA does not believe the Volt or other electric vehicles are at a greater risk of fire than gasoline-powered vehicles. In fact, all vehicles - both electric and gasoline-powered - have some risk of fire in the event of a serious crash.

Indeed. We'll have more on this as details are released.

UPDATE: General Motors has released an official statement, which has been added after the jump.

Continue reading Chevy Volt battery catches fire at NHTSA [UPDATE]

Chevy Volt battery catches fire at NHTSA [UPDATE] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 11 Nov 2011 13:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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