Hyundai Motor Company has finally unveiled its first full speed electric vehicle called BlueOn that boasts of a maximum speed of 130 kilometers per hour.
The Korean automobile manufacturer spent about 40 billion Korean won ($34 million) to develop the electric vehicle, whose design was based on Hyundai’s i10 small hatchback model. The electric version of i10 was launched at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2009.
BlueOn can cover up to 100 kilometers per hour in just 13.1 seconds, a feat better than some of its gasoline counterparts, Hyundai claimed. The electric vehicle can also travel 140 kilometers on a single charge.
Its electric motor draws power from a 16.4 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion polymer battery, which generates the same power as a nickel-metal hydride battery does, but has 30 percent less weight and 40 percent less volume. This improves the vehicle’s efficiency and allows for more interior space.
BlueOn can accommodate dual recharging methods: a 220-volt household power, which requires six hours to fully charge the battery, and a 380-volt industrial strength power, which recharges about 80 percent of the battery’s capacity for 25 minutes.
The car also features an advanced telematics system that displays the vehicle’s charge status and where recharging stations can be found. A 4.2-inch thin-film transistor liquid display crystal supervision cluster provides voice guidance for the driver.
Additional features include electric motor-driven power steering, electric water pump and a regenerative brake system.
Hyundai will deploy 30 units of BlueOn as test fleets to different Korean government organizations in October to help develop and test charging infrastructures until August 2012. The company will work with the Seoul Metropolitan Government and other government agencies to establish the recharging facilities.
“Consumers’ interests and demand for eco-friendly cars are rising and securing such advanced technology is critical in becoming an industry leader. Hyundai is dedicated to reducing its carbon footprint and satisfying market needs,” said Hyun-Soon Lee, vice chairman at Hyundai’s corporate research and development center.
The company plans to boost its manufacturing capacity by 2011 to reach its target of producing 2,500 BlueOn units by 2012.
Hyundai is the world’s fifth largest automaker since 2007, selling about 2.8 million vehicles worldwide in 2008.
