Ssangyong unveils EV concept at Seoul show, hot on heels of Geneva PHEV

Korean maker Ssangyong has pulled the wraps off a new EV prototype. Following on from the Korando C EV revealed at Busan last year and Geneva in March this year, the company has taken a stand at this month's Seoul show to unveil the Korando-based KEV2.

Aimed at 'younger generation consumers with an active urban lifestyle', the KEV2 uses a 35kW/h Li-ion battery pack to power a 120kW electric motor for a claimed range of up to 180km at speeds of up to 150km/h. A flat-to-full recharge takes 8-10 hours from a conventional domestic power outlet, dropping to 'as little as 30 minutes' with high-voltage rapid-charge unit.

The battery packs sit under the cargo space floor, minimising their incursion on carrying capacity. The centrepiece of the cockpit is a console-mounted table PC 'providing occupants with the ability to have up to the minute information and details at the touch of a screen'.

KEV2 comes hot on the heels of Ssangyong's plug-in extended-range electric vehicle (EREV), unveiled at the recent Geneva Motor Show. At 1750kg, it is about 30 per cent heavier than the 1300kg EREV, which combines a smaller electric drivetrain – an 80kW motor with a 16kW Li-ion battery pack – with an IC charging engine to extend its range.

Ssangyong claims similar performance, but with halved charging times – five hours on a domestic outlet or 15 minutes on rapid-charge – with a 60km electric-only range and up to 400km using the engine as well.

The rapid-fire rollout of low- and zero-emission vehicles is Ssangyong's way of announcing its return from financial troubles in the wake of the GFC in 2008. The company lost its majority shareholder, Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC) and went to the wall in November that year – just a couple of weeks after signing an Australian distribution deal with Malaysian multinational Sime Darby.

By January 2009 it was in receivership, where it stayed until, after extensive government assessment of several prospective suitors, a new deal was announced with Indian giant Mahindra in August. The final elements of the acquisition were signed off in February this year. At the Seoul show, Mahindra executives were inundated with questions about guaranteeing Ssangyong's future stability. Vice chairman Anand Mahindra said the company would not be repeating SAIC's mistake of trying to run the company from abroad. The parent company's strategy, he said, is all about long-term, arm's-length investment and having the right local management in place.

The KEV2 press release says the vehicle is “a strong signal that Ssangyong's plans for an electric vehicle range are back on track" under Mahindra.

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