Hyundai reveals BlueOn electric car

Hyundai has unveiled its first 'Full Speed Electirc Vehicle' this week, beginning what the Korean company says is a new era in eco-friendly technology. Dubbed BlueOn, the FSEV is based on the Hyundai i10 and has been developed over a 12 month period at a cost of some 40 billion Won, or approximately AUD$37.2 million.

The next step in Hyundai's Blue Drive strategy, BlueOn is fitted with a highly efficient 61kW/210Nm electric motor fed by innovative 16.4kWh lithium-ion polymer (LiPoly) batteries which are said to offer numerous advantages over existing battery types.

Hyundai said the new technology batteries were chosen for their light weight and compact size, the unit in BlueOn some 30 per cent lighter and 40 per cent smaller than traditional nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) versions, the outcome translating to better efficiency and more passenger space.

The manufacturer says it has conducted hundreds of thousands of kilometres of endurance testing for BlueOn with special focus drawn on safety and the prevention of battery overcharging.

Additionally, BlueOn has also been created to generate 'Virtual Sound' when operating for the safety of pedestrians, as like most electric vehicles, BlueOn makes very little noise when driving at low speeds.

The compact BlueOn is capable of 0-100km/h times of 13.1 seconds with a top speed of 130km/h, figures similar to those found in Mitsubishi's all-electric i-MiEV. It is also capable of travelling up to 140km on a single charge.

Charging is accommodated via either domestic supply, which takes around six hours, or by a special 380-volt industrial charger for fast fills. The quick charge method brings BlueOn to 80 per cent charge within 25 minutes.

An advanced telematics system, similar to that found in Toyota's Prius, shows drivers the charging status of the vehicle as well as the location of charging stations. The 10.5cm TFT LCD Supervision Cluster provides voice guidance, just like most integrated satellite navigation systems.

"We are proud to introduce the world to BlueOn, which was fully developed in Korea and displays Hyundai's latest technological advancements," said Hyundai's Corporate Research and Development Vice Chairman, Dr. Hyun-Soon Lee.

"Consumers' interests and demand for eco-friendly cars are rising and securing such advanced technology is critical in becoming an industry leader. Hyundai is dedicated to reducing its carbon footprint and satisfying market needs."

Hyundai will provide 30 BlueOn test fleet vehicles to a number of Korean government organisations over the next few months with the vehicles to be used to develop and test charging infrastructure over a two year period. The BlueOn will also be showcased during the G20 summit in South Korea later this year.

Once infrastructure is available, Hyundai will expand manufacturing to produce around 2500 units per year by 2012.

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