Kia Ray PHEV Concept Appears at 2010 Chicago Auto Show

By Dena Cassella Published February 10, 2010

kiaray1 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Kia Motors made a grand announcement today at the 2010 Chicago Auto Show, revealing its futuristic-looking Ray Plug-in Hybrid concept. Kia says that it wants to provide innovative and efficient vehicles with style and fuel economy. The new Kia Ray concept features an aerodynamic design with a flowing-profile, recycled materials, hexagonal roof-top solar cells embedded in the glass roof panel that power extra lighting or climate control systems, and a U-shaped rear to smooth out airflow. The Kia Ray has a 1.4-liter direct-injection four-cylinder gasoline engine that puts out 153 horsepower and a 78kW electric motor which is able to propel the Ray by itself over 50 miles on a full charge of battery.

The Ray has a fuel economy rating of more than 202 miles per gallon, and has a total range of 746 miles. Another green aspect of this cool new concept the GreenEdge system by Infinity Audio which, according to KIA, includes loudspeakers that “reduce power consumption and dissipation through lower self heating temperatures with increased acoustic performance, a better synergy between amplifier, speaker and vehicle.”

kiaray2 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

“It is important to imagine what people will want in the future from a green perspective early in the design process, because people want to reduce their carbon footprint without driving carbon copies,” says Peter Schreyer, chief design officer, Kia Motors Corporation. “Being green doesn’t have to be an obvious statement anymore and the Kia Ray exemplifies a viable blend of modern, eco-minded features for today’s environmentally conscious consumers.”

Recommended Videos

Kia claims actual concepts behind the Ray are not too far off in the future. The Ray caught a lot of eyes at the Auto Show today with its unique design and innovative green technology.

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Haole built. O'ahu grown

Cars

Mini’s infotainment system is very charming, but still needs work

Main screen of the Mini infotainment system

When you think Mini, you probably don’t think of infotainment. Personally, I think of the British flag taillights, the distinct exterior, and the surprising room on the inside. But after driving the Mini John Cooper Works Countryman over the past week, infotainment might well be something I think of more often when it comes to Mini. It’s charming.

It also, however, suffers from all the traps that other legacy automakers fall into when it comes to software design. Mini has something on its hands here — but it still needs some work.
Bringing the charm
The first thing that stood out to me about the system when I got in the car was how fun it was. That all starts with the display. It’s round! No, it’s not curved — the screen is a big, round display sits in at 9.4 inches, and I found it plenty large enough for day-to-day use.

Cars

Plug-in hybrids are becoming more popular. Why? And will it continue?

Kia Niro EV Charging Port

There's a lot of talk about the idea that the growth in electric car sales has kind of slowed a little. It's not all that surprising -- EVs are still expensive, early adopters all have one by now, and they're still new enough to where there aren't too many ultra-affordable used EVs available. But plenty of people still want a greener vehicle, and that has given rise to an explosion in hybrid vehicle sales.

That's especially true of plug-in hybrid vehicles, which can be charged like an EV and driven in all-electric mode for short distances, and have a gas engine as a backup for longer distances or to be used in combination with electric mode for more efficient driving.

Cars

EV drivers are not going back to gas cars, global survey says

ev drivers are not going back to gas cars global survey says screenshot

Nearly all current owners of electric vehicles (EVs) are either satisfied or very satisfied with the experience, and 92% of them plan to buy another EV, according to a survey by the Global EV Drivers Alliance.

The survey of 23,000 EV drivers worldwide found that only 1% would return to a petrol or diesel car, while 4% would opt for a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) if they had to replace their car.