For green car nuts like myself, the 2010 Chicago Auto Show was a little bit dull this year. Ford really was the only auto manufacturer with anything of note, showing off its electric and CNG versions of the 2011 Ford Transit Connect and a version the 2011 Ford Edge with an EcoBoost engine. In fact, in my eyes Ford stole the show.
But there was one more little nugget to pop out of Chicago this year: the Kia Ray plug-in hybrid concept. Representing Kia’s first foray into the world of plug-in hybrid design, the Ray concept is really nothing more than a showpiece at this point. And it’s a kind of strange looking one at that.
As Kia’s U.S. based design team took the stage to talk about the Ray, we heard nothing of real substance surrounding its performance or fuel efficiency. We did, however, hear lots about its “airy design” and its “smooth, flowing lines.” Sometimes the unveiling of concept cars can be so frustrating. Yet at a show where the other “concept” cars included an upcoming version of Honda’s Odyssey minivan, the Ray certainly took the cake for being the most flashy concept to debut in Chicago.
Whether it’s an attractive flashy car is up for debate, however.
The front is somewhat enticing, yet when you get around to the back everything seems to go horribly wrong. The front looks active and sleek… even a bit happy. But the rear end looks like droopy dog on a bad day. The unbroken thick black line resembles a piece of tar melting over a white rock in the summer sun. Anyway, all that doesn’t really matter. Concept designs never make it to the production level, so we can all breathe a sigh of relief.
But wait, Kia also announced in Chicago that they will be debuting their first production-intent hybrid model at another upcoming as-yet-to-be-announced auto show this year, and that the design of the Ray was “closer than we think.” Uh. I sure as hell hope not. At the very least, I hope they ditch any thought of including anything resembling the Ray’s rear end.
In the press release, Kia says that the Ray is designed “to reach driving distances of more than 50 miles using its electric motor on a single charge, and has a fuel economy rating of more than 202 miles per gallon, and has a total range of 746 miles.” It sure is easy to write that all down when all you have is a fiberglass model. I guess we have to wait and see if Kia can actually deliver on those claims.
But kudos to Kia for their presentation. They had some crazy sock monkey and orange condom-like creatures on hand to show off the Ray (the creatures are from Kia’s new new advertising campaign that debuted during the Super Bowl). There was also a live band rocking the largely tie-encumbered crowd with funkily rearranged hip-hop and classic rock tunes. Plus there was the free beer from the “Kia Kegger” booths; happily served in “fully compostable” glasses. Anyone hazard to guess how many of those glasses actually made it to the compost? Anyway, the beer certainly helped to make the whole crazy mismatched ensemble more bearable—so thanks for thinking ahead Kia!
Check out the Ray gallery below and decide for yourself if it’s ugly, sexy, or somewhere in the realm of indescribable.
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I agree with you….The front and sides of the car are quite nice, but the butt ugly rearend is ghastly!!! Let’s hope the boys and girls at Kia get it right.
I agree with you….The front and sides of the car are quite nice, but the butt ugly rearend is ghastly!!! Let’s hope the boys and girls at Kia get it right.
I like the look, but why a hybrid? why not just build a straight ev and be done with it?
I like the look, but why a hybrid? why not just build a straight ev and be done with it?
I think the solar panel on the roof is the big news and it wasn’t even mentioned in this article. I am curious how much it extends the range after an 8-hour stay in a parking lot.
Bret,
You’re right I did skip the solar panel news, and a whole host of other speculatives. You know why? It’s not big news. The Prius being sold down the street from you already has them. When you do the calculations, the solar panels on any car would only provide enough energy even on a full sun day to run a couple fans or operate a light–which is why the 2010 Prius only really uses them to operate a ventilation system while the car is parked to keep it cool:
Kia’s press release says the Ray’s solar panels will run a ventilation system or some lights.
I think the solar panel on the roof is the big news and it wasn’t even mentioned in this article. I am curious how much it extends the range after an 8-hour stay in a parking lot.
Bret,
You’re right I did skip the solar panel news, and a whole host of other speculatives. You know why? It’s not big news. The Prius being sold down the street from you already has them. When you do the calculations, the solar panels on any car would only provide enough energy even on a full sun day to run a couple fans or operate a light–which is why the 2010 Prius only really uses them to operate a ventilation system while the car is parked to keep it cool:
Kia’s press release says the Ray’s solar panels will run a ventilation system or some lights.
Reply to Nick and Bret
You may be referring to the 59 watt factory Prius solar panel? You are correct. This provides very little power.
Solar Electric Vehicles of California has been installing 215 watt solar roof panels on toyota prius cars for many years. The new panel coming out in a few months is expected to be 250 watts. The performance can only get better.
Yes it does improve the overall mileage.
see: http://www.solarelectricvehicles.com
Reply to Nick and Bret
You may be referring to the 59 watt factory Prius solar panel? You are correct. This provides very little power.
Solar Electric Vehicles of California has been installing 215 watt solar roof panels on toyota prius cars for many years. The new panel coming out in a few months is expected to be 250 watts. The performance can only get better.
Yes it does improve the overall mileage.
see: http://www.solarelectricvehicles.com
Back at the IAA Frankfurt 1993 we presented a full 4 wheel electric hybrid chassis (4x20kW/ 30kw generator/ the world’s smallest and fastest switched power electronic developed for mobile use ever), and produced prototypes of a 2 wheel powered hybrid car in the mid 90ies.
The technology we used back then is still!!! “state of the art”, and not matched from any other development to date. To note that only we ourselves have an even more powerful upgrade.
I never understood why electric powered cars seem to have a special mostly extrem futuristic design for presentation.
Every existing car design from the 1850ies or from 2009 is good for driving the car electric (1850 it was electric anyway)!
The difference between a car powered by a combustion engine connected mechanically to the wheels or with 4 electric motors and the combustion engine as a generator is not in the body design, but in the way it drives. The ELECTRIC hybrid (I do NOT refer to the Prius or similar) is simply the better one, better performance, less consumption, less oils for lubrication, less parts, and a comfort one can’t have with a standard car – I.E. a 100% 4 wheel drive – and manufactured in similar quantities – simply cheaper!.
Last but not least – all energy sources can be used to propel that thing – battery charged by the grid (swiss model = solar panels on your house fed into the grid and then used for charging the car) any combustion engine (diesel, gas, petrol, hydrogen, name it)
If one wants a new car design – why not, but definitely not because its electric powered.
Ah – the solar panel on the car’s roof! Its more a marketing gag (I an innovative and green one!) providing the energy for a fan or so. A 250W panel generates by best exposure to the sun forgetting the loss for charging/ discharging in 8 hours 2kW.
How much does one think this is improving the mileage of an 80kW car? This means not that it shouldn’t be done, and if you have a million of these cars in the sun they would produce a stunning 250 Megawatt an hour which would not be taken off the oil/cole powered grid or the petrol stations.
Back at the IAA Frankfurt 1993 we presented a full 4 wheel electric hybrid chassis (4x20kW/ 30kw generator/ the world’s smallest and fastest switched power electronic developed for mobile use ever), and produced prototypes of a 2 wheel powered hybrid car in the mid 90ies.
The technology we used back then is still!!! “state of the art”, and not matched from any other development to date. To note that only we ourselves have an even more powerful upgrade.
I never understood why electric powered cars seem to have a special mostly extrem futuristic design for presentation.
Every existing car design from the 1850ies or from 2009 is good for driving the car electric (1850 it was electric anyway)!
The difference between a car powered by a combustion engine connected mechanically to the wheels or with 4 electric motors and the combustion engine as a generator is not in the body design, but in the way it drives. The ELECTRIC hybrid (I do NOT refer to the Prius or similar) is simply the better one, better performance, less consumption, less oils for lubrication, less parts, and a comfort one can’t have with a standard car – I.E. a 100% 4 wheel drive – and manufactured in similar quantities – simply cheaper!.
Last but not least – all energy sources can be used to propel that thing – battery charged by the grid (swiss model = solar panels on your house fed into the grid and then used for charging the car) any combustion engine (diesel, gas, petrol, hydrogen, name it)
If one wants a new car design – why not, but definitely not because its electric powered.
Ah – the solar panel on the car’s roof! Its more a marketing gag (I an innovative and green one!) providing the energy for a fan or so. A 250W panel generates by best exposure to the sun forgetting the loss for charging/ discharging in 8 hours 2kW.
How much does one think this is improving the mileage of an 80kW car? This means not that it shouldn’t be done, and if you have a million of these cars in the sun they would produce a stunning 250 Megawatt an hour which would not be taken off the oil/cole powered grid or the petrol stations.