General Motors will launch a test fleet of electric Chevrolet Cruze cars in Seoul, South Korea at the end of October.
The electric Cruze demo fleet will be the first full-size sedan electric vehicles to hit the road and will be powered by batteries from LG Chem and propulsion systems (motor/inverter) from LG Electronics.
The EV demo fleet in South Korea will consist of Chevrolet Cruzes and GM Daewoo Lacetti Premieres. GM currently markets the vehicle under the local brand in South Korea. The project is aimed at providing data on customer acceptance and battery range.
The Cruze EV is equipped with a 31-kWh battery that generates maximum power of 150 kW. The demonstration fleet will be monitored closely to determine the amount of real-world range achievable by a vehicle of its size.
On specific test schedules conducted by LG Chem, the demonstration vehicles may achieve a range of up to 160 km (100 miles). The vehicles can go from 0 to 100 km/h (60 miles per hour) in 8.2 seconds with a maximum speed of 165 km/h (102.5 miles per hour).
On a standard household 220-volt outlet, the Cruze EV can be fully recharged in 8 to 10 hours. Part of the demonstration fleet’s task is to test a “quick charge” application that could reduce the charge time significantly.
The Cruze EV’s battery pack is mounted on the underbody. This gives the Cruze EV the same trunk space as conventional vehicles with gasoline engines.
The automaker currently has no plans to bring the electric Cruzes to the U.S.[wzslider height=”400″ lightbox=”true”]
