Kia will present at the Paris motor show a hybrid concept called Optima T-hybrid. The car will be equipped with a 1.7 liter CRDi turbodiesel engine that works with a small electric motor, powered from a 48V battery of lithium-atoms, which has been chosen instead of a conventional lithium-ion battery because there is no need active cooling and it can be recycled more easily.
According to Kia, the concept can be initiated only by the electric motor at low speeds and when the car is braking the batteries can charge.
The 1.7 liter engine features an electric turbocharger which gives increased engine torque and power, regardless of engine speed, while at low revs it gives it more torque. Kia says that the concept has “significantly reduced consumption and emissions of CO2”, but they have not decided if they are going to send it to production.
