Hyundai-Kia Automotive group recently announced a shift in the manufacturing of eco-friendly vehicles: Kia will channel its production power on solely electric vehicles while Hyundai will concentrate on hybrids. And it seems as though the benefits of such a shift are emerging already. Kia Motors is, for example, slated to release an all-new EV model by the end of this year and plans to persist with even more models debuting in 2014.

Dubbed the TAM project, Kia EV efforts will harvest a healthy crop of 2,000 units over the next year. Though the automaker has not yet said whether the U.S. will see these electric vehicles, [Dealer] is dedicated to providing information as soon as it is released.

In addition to the group of "TAM" EV's that will soon be poured into the market, Kia will introduce the 'BlueOn' - the South Korean automaker's first ever full-speed electric vehicle. This model was developed by Kia's research team last year and is based on the i10 minicar.

Kia isn't new to the electric vehicle limelight. The automaker recently received an abundance of attention when the 2011 Kia Optima Hybrid earned a Guinness World Record title for Lowest fuel consumption driving through all 48 contiguous US states in a gasoline hybrid car. "While traveling across the United States the Optima Hybrid experienced temperatures ranging from more than 118 degrees Fahrenheit to less than freezing point." Kia's senior executive vice president and chief operating officer Thomas Oh said in a statement.¹ The cross-country trek certainly showed the world what Kia is made of.

But while fans and owners of the record-breaking hybrid vehicle may be concerned about the direction Kia is taking, Team Kia of El Cajon is confident that the streamlined focus will ensure an impressive launch of electric vehicles. Be sure to check back for Kia EV updates and, in the meantime, feel free to contact us with any questions.

  

Source:¹http://blogs.wsj.com/drivers-seat/2011/09/13/kia-optima-sets-guinness-record-for-fuel-economy/