Kia Ray EV Is Korea's First Electric Production Vehicle
Kia has formally introduced Korea’s first electric production vehicle, the Ray EV, with a range of 86-miles and an impressive fast-charging in just 25 minutes. Only 2,500 units will be produced initially, all of which will be used by government agencies.
The Ray EV is a close relative to the Ray CUV, which was a 1.0L gasoline-powered vehicle introduced last month in Korea. The Ray EV is also a global first, sharing a production line with a conventional combustion-engine vehicle.
Powering the front-wheel-drive Ray EV will be a 50 kW electric motor paired to a high-capacity 16.4 kWh lithium-ion polymer battery pack. The battery pack is safely located under the rear seat and cabin floor and has been engineered for a 10-year life cycle.
The electric motor pumps out 67-hp and an impressive 123 lb-ft of torque while standard recharge time is six hours utilizing a household 220V. As mentioned before, there is a 25-minute fast-charge mode.
Inside, the Ray EV features a unique navigation system that will locate one of the 500 closest recharge stations in Korea. The government currently has plans to increase that number to 3,100 by the end of 2012.
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