Hyundai has revealed its- and Korea’s-very first road-ready ‘full speed electric vehicle’, which it calls ‘BlueOn’.
An electric version of the firm’s highly popular supermini, the i10, the BlueOn was unveiled at Seoul’s Blue House, the office and residence of South Korean President Lee Myung-bak. The President took the opportunity to get behind the wheel of the new EV model and take it for a test drive.
The Korean carmaker reportedly invested 40 billion won ($34.3 million)over a year to create the vehicle, in a bid to help it catch up with Japanese rivals including Nissan and Mitsubishi, which have already launched electric models.
The new model, first unveiled in concept form at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2009(pictured), will now join test fleets in various government organisations in the firm’s home country next month. Thirty of the models will initially go on trail and will be mainly used to help develop and test charging infrastructures until August 2012.
The name ‘BlueOn’ derives from Hyundai’s Blue Drive strategy, which encompasses the company’s eco-friendly products and technologies. The word ‘On’ is meant to symbolise that as an electric vehicle it is “switched on.”
BlueOn is equipped with a 16.4 kWh LiPoly (lithium-ion polymer) battery technology which the firm says offers numerous advantages over other battery types. BlueOn boasts a maximum power of 81ps(61kW) and maximum torque of 21.4kg/m(210Nm). Hyundai chose LiPoly batteries because, compared with previous nickel-metal hydride batteries (NiMH), LiPoly delivers the same power with 30 per cent less weight and 40 per cent less volume, boosting efficiency and leaving more interior space for passengers.
BlueOn boasts a maximum speed of 130km/h (81mph) and 0-100 km/h (0-60mph) is achieved in 13.1 seconds. BlueOn can travel as much as 140 km (87 miles) on a single charge and can be recharged using either a 220V household power source or a 380V industrial-strength source, to deliver shorter recharging times. Under the household power, the battery can be fully recharged within six hours. Under the quick charge method, the battery can be recharged to about 80 per cent of its capacity within 25 minutes.
Hyundai is now set to collaborate with the Seoul Metropolitan Government and other government agencies to build recharging facilities in the country. The carmaker plans to expand its manufacturing capabilities for BlueOn next year, after carrying out test productions and expects to make about 2,500 units by the end of 2012.
