The all-new Kia e-Niro will offer owners a driving range of up to 301 miles (485 kilometres) on a single charge when it goes on-sale across Europe at the end of 2018. The e-Niro, Kia’s first fully-electric crossover utility vehicle, will be revealed in European specification at the 2018 Paris Motor Show, before sales begin later this year.
European homologation on the WLTP combined cycle has confirmed the 301 range for the e-Niro when powered by the high-capacity 64 kWh lithium-ion polymer battery. On the WLTP ‘urban’ test cycle, the e-Niro is capable of travelling for up to 382 miles (615 km) – further than many petrol cars.
Plugged into a 100 kW fast charger, it takes only 54 minutes to recharge the e-Niro’s 64 kWh battery to 80 per cent. The car’s standard 39.2 kWh power pack has also been rated, offering drivers up to 193 miles (312 km) of zero-emissions motoring on a full charge (WLTP combined cycle).
The e-Niro will be one of the most capable electric vehicles when sales commence, combining driving enjoyment, eye-catching design, crossover utility and a zero-emissions powertrain. The new e-Niro joins existing Hybrid and Plug-in Hybrid variants of the Niro – of which more than 200,000 have sold globally since its introduction in 2016. To date, Europe has accounted for more than 65,000 sales of the hybrid crossover.
Models equipped with the long-distance 64 kWh battery pack are paired with a 150 kW (204 ps) motor, producing 395 Nm torque, enabling the e-Niro to accelerate from 0-to-100 kph in just 7.8 seconds. The standard 39.2 kWh battery pack is matched to a 100 kW (136 ps) motor, also producing 395 Nm torque, and accelerating to 100 kph from a standstill in 9.8 seconds. Like the Niro Hybrid and Plug-in Hybrid variants, the e-Niro is front-wheel drive.
The e-Niro provides owners with a range of technologies to enhance battery efficiency and improve the car’s range, including regenerative braking, Coasting Guide Control (CGC), and Predictive Energy Control (PEC). The technologies enable drivers to recharge the battery pack and maximise vehicle range when coasting or braking. CGC and PEC are linked to the navigation system and account for upcoming corners and topographic changes, suggesting when drivers could coast in order to harvest additional energy.
The e-Niro will be covered by Kia’s industry-leading 7-Year, 100,000-miles warranty as standard. The warranty also covers the battery pack and electric motor.
Full specification, pricing and on-sale date will be announced in due course.
