Kia Teases Ultra-Futuristic EV Concept Ahead of 2019 Geneva Motor Show Reveal
Kia has certainly been outdoing itself lately.
Kia announced Thursday that it will reveal a conceptual electric vehicle at the 2019 Geneva International Motor Show on March 5.
The Korean automaker provided no specifics of the vehicle beyond describing it as "a visual embodiment of the company's desire to move forward in the exciting world of electrification," and releasing a single, shadowy rendering of the vehicle's front end.
"Automotive design is about capturing the heart and making it beat that bit faster for that bit longer—and we believe that there's absolutely no reason why that should change simply because the car is electric," stated Kia Motors Europe's Vice President of Design, Gregory Guillaume.
"We imagined designing an all-electric car that not only answered consumer concerns around range, performance, recharging networks and driving dynamism, but one that also gave you goosebumps when you looked at it, and made the hairs on the back of your neck stand up when you drove it,” Guillaume continued. “That's why our all-electric concept is designed to not only get your pulse racing, but to also signpost our holistic and emotional approach to electrification."
If it advances beyond the conceptual stage, this model could use electric drivetrain components found in Kia's newest EVs, the electric Niro crossover and Soul hatchback. Each is powered at the front wheels by an electric motor generating 201 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque, which draws power from a 64 kilowatt-hour (kWh) battery. The concept vehicle could make use of Kia's solar panel roof technology, which would allow the vehicle to recuperate a few miles of range each day when parked outdoors. Inductive 10-kilowatt charging may also be ready by the time Kia decides what to do with this concept vehicle, though as with the solar roof, the technology is not yet ready for commercialization.
