CompleteCar

New Kia electric car

The Kia Naimo concept car was unveiled in Seoul this week - previewing a new electric production car.

Kia is going electric for its home motor show this week in Seoul with the unveiling of the Naimo electric supermini concept.

The name Naimo is derived from the Korean word "Ne-mo" that means "square shape". As you can see from the pictures, Kia has gone for a chunky look to make the most of interior space in the Naimo.

Described as a crossover by Kia, the Naimo has been styled by Kia's Chief Design Officer, Peter Schreyer. He says: "Naimo is a perfect balance of innovation, high-tech and Korean tradition. It was heavily inspired by the purity and grace of traditional Korean arts and crafts, but combines cutting edge technologies to deliver a premium experience."

Prime among these new technologies is all-electric power for the 3.9-metre long Naimo. It uses a permanent Magnet Synchronous motor with 110hp and 280Nm of torque. This gives the Naimo a top speed of 150km/h and a range of 200 kilometres on a single charge.

The Naimo has a quick charge ability to regain 80 percent of its charge in just 25 minutes, with a full charge taking five and a half hours. To test the Naimo's real world ability, Kia is adding the car to its test fleet of alternative fuel vehicles and it will be driven extensively in all types of road conditions.

Kia insiders say the Naimo is a strong indicator of where the company is heading with electric vehicles and that it sees a realistic future for a zero-emissions, five-door, four-seat city car.

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Published on April 1, 2011