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SEOUL, May 2 (Yonhap) — Kia Motors Corp. on Wednesday unveiled the pure electric version of its Niro crossover at an annual green vehicle exhibition on Jeju Island, a move aimed at bolstering its credentials as a carmaker striving to protect the environment.
In the 5th international Electric Vehicle Expo being held through May 6 on the scenic resort island, South Korea’s second largest carmaker displayed its Niro electric vehicle (EV) model along with the Niro plug-in hybrid and the Soul EV, the company said in a statement.
The Niro EV concept was initially introduced at the Consumer Electronics Show 2018 in Las Vegas in January, it said.
This photo, taken May 2, 2018, and provided by Kia Motors, shows the Niro EV on display at the 5th international Electric Vehicle Expo being held on Jeju Island. (Yonhap)
The Niro EV can travel over 380 kilometers on a single charge using a 64 kWh battery pack or up to 240 km on the smaller 39.2 kWh battery system, the statement said.
The all-electric Niro boasts advanced safety features such as front collision avoidance, lane keeping assist and highway driving assist systems, it said.
With the addition of the Niro EV, Kia expects the sales of Niro vehicles will help boost the carmaker’s overall sales this year. Last year, the carmaker sold a total of 23,647 Niro hybrids and plug-in hybrid models, the company said.
Kia plans to begin selling the Niro EV in the domestic market in the second half of the year, having received more than 5,000 preorders for the Niro EVs in February, a company spokesman said.
To help boost EV sales, the central government is offering 12 million won (US$11,000) in subsidies for the purchase of an electric vehicle. As subsidies from regional governments vary, the overall subsidies could reach 22 million won per EV depending on the region, according to the environment ministry.
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