Kia is using the Paris Motor Show as an opportunity to showcase a new turbodiesel-hybrid prototype.
The Kia Optima T-Hybrid (T for “Turbo”) is what the company calls a mild hybrid. Following on the drivetrain shown earlier this year at the Geneva Motor Show, the concept employs the current Kia 1.7-liter CRDi turbodiesel motor, making 134hp and 239 lb-ft of torque, mating to a small electric motor.
However, rather than the lithium battery used in the current US-market Optima Hybrid, the T-Hybrid uses 48V lead-carbon battery that requires no active cooling and is less harmful to the environment at the end of its lifecycle. The battery is also much smaller than that of a conventional hybrid, improving packaging and weight distribution.
The unit still allows for electric-only cruising at low speeds, regeneration during deceleration, and uses an automatic start/stop system like conventional hybrids. A belt-driven starter generator reduces the vibrations typically associated with starting, and replaces the traditional alternator as well.
Kia says that an electric supercharger can also be added to the system on top of the turbo, boosting low-end power and torque. Though the company didn’t disclose specific horsepower numbers, it did note that the powertrain could reduce CO2 emissions by 15-20 percent. Kia estimates operating costs over the lifetime of the vehicle could be lower than traditional hybrids as well.
The drivetrain is still very much in the development stages, and Kia has no plans to mass produce it as of yet, but referred to it as a “flagship technology” that will be considered for future models.
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