Kia will have its first hybrid on sale in the US before the end of the year, the company’s director of communications Alex Fedorak told reporters at the Chicago motor show.
“It will be available to consumers not just fleets,” he said during a preview of the Ray hybrid concept. Fedorak said that he didn’t have all the details and was unable to say how closely the production hybrid resembled the concept, according to news agency reports.
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The sleek, aerodynamic Ray concept car features a plug-in hybrid powertrain developed with Kia’s sister company Hyundai and is designed to help polish the company’s green credentials, reporters were told.
“Being green doesn’t have to be an obvious statement anymore,” said Peter Schreyer, the chief design officer for Kia’s US unit.
“The Kia Ray exemplifies a viable blend of modern, eco-minded features for today’s environmentally-conscious consumers.”
The Ray was designed for maximum efficiency, using clean, flush surfaces which end in a slightly high deck lid for reduced drag.
Touch-screen controls, drive-by-wire steering, “cool-glazing” solar glass and a lithium-polymer battery hint at the technology in Kia’s future.
The Ray’s electric motor has a range of more than 50 miles (80km) with a single charge and fuel economy of more than 202 mpg and a total range of 746 miles.
