The Kia Ray

concept car A concept car (also known as a concept vehicle, show vehicle or prototype) is a car made to showcase new styling and/or new technology. They are often exhibited at motor shows to gauge customer reaction to new and radical designs which may or ...

is a prototype of a car that is designed to be a

fuel-efficient Fuel efficiency is a form of thermal efficiency, meaning the ratio of effort to result of a process that converts chemical potential energy contained in a carrier ( fuel) into kinetic energy or work. Overall fuel efficiency may vary per device, ...

, environmentally conscious vehicle. At the 2010

Chicago Auto Show The Chicago Auto Show is held annually in February at Chicago's McCormick Place convention center. It is the largest auto show in North America. History Samuel Miles, formerly a promoter of bicycle shows, produced the first "official" Chic ...

Kia Motors Kia Corporation, commonly known as Kia (, ; formerly known as Kyungsung Precision Industry and Kia Motors Corporation), is a South Korean multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Seoul, South Korea. It is South Korea's second lar ...

entered the green car competition with the Kia Ray, unveiling this

plug-in hybrid A plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) is a hybrid electric vehicle whose battery pack can be recharged by plugging a charging cable into an external electric power source, in addition to internally by its on-board internal combustion engin ...

prototype that can be electrically recharged through a standard

electrical outlet AC power plugs and sockets connect electric equipment to the alternating current (AC) mains electricity power supply in buildings and at other sites. Electrical plugs and sockets differ from one another in voltage and current rating, shape, si ...

Overview

It has a 106.3 inch

wheelbase In both road and rail vehicles, the wheelbase is the horizontal distance between the centers of the front and rear wheels. For road vehicles with more than two axles (e.g. some trucks), the wheelbase is the distance between the steering (front ...

and an aerodynamic design. The company claims the Kia Ray can cover as many as without a battery charge. In its bid to be more eco-friendly, the tires are skinny and even the audio system has been designed to use less electricity. According to

Car and Driver ''Car and Driver'' (''CD'' or ''C/D'') is an American automotive enthusiast magazine. In 2006 its total circulation was 1.23 million. It is owned by Hearst Magazines, who purchased prior owner Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S. in 2011. It was fou ...

, the Kia Ray's debut at the 2010 Chicago Auto Show, "represents an ambitious confluence of style and technology, and was arguably one of the strongest traffic-stoppers at the show." The vehicle is part of the EcoDynamics sub-brand of

and is designed to get the gasoline energy equivalent of 202 miles per gallon running on battery power and a range of 746 miles operating as a gasoline hybrid at 74 miles per gallon. The company says the prototype was designed "with lightweight and recycled materials, as well as with hexagonal roof-top

solar cell A solar cell, or photovoltaic cell, is an electronic device that converts the energy of light directly into electricity by the photovoltaic effect, which is a physical and chemical phenomenon.

s embedded in the glass roof panel that power extra lighting or climate control systems". If produced, the Kia Ray is in the same class as the

Kia Optima Optima is a humanist sans-serif typeface designed by Hermann Zapf and released by the D. Stempel AG foundry, Frankfurt, West Germany in 1958. Though classified as a sans-serif, Optima has a subtle swelling at the terminals suggesting a glyphic s ...

and the

Hyundai Sonata The Hyundai Sonata is a mid-size car that has been manufactured by Hyundai since 1985. The first generation Sonata, which was introduced in 1985, was a facelifted Hyundai Stellar with an engine upgrade, and was withdrawn from the market in two ...

as a

mid-size car Mid-size—also known as intermediate—is a vehicle size class which originated in the United States and is used for cars larger than compact cars and smaller than full-size cars. "Large family car" is a UK term and a part of the D-segment in t ...

and it would have conventional rear doors.

References

{{Kia Ray 2010s cars All-wheel-drive vehicles Electric concept cars Mid-size cars Sedans

Overview

See also

References