Where do you debut new electric car concepts in America?  Not in Detroit at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), says Kia.  Instead, you go to Vegas and showcase them at the Consumer Electronic Show (CES).  If anything says that Koreans understand American thinking, this is it.

Nobody in Detroit right now really expects to see serious electric cars.  Some nifty mobile toys, maybe, or even a snooty attempt to make fun of Americans and our trucks by some a-holes in Germany with their pathetically small “Smart” car they chopped the back off of to make a “pickup” out of.

But at the world’s largest consumer electronics show outside of Asia?  BAM.  Kia nails it.

The company is showing off two electric concepts.  The Naimo EV concept is a Hello Kitty-looking little soft blue thing that seats four and sports a cool dual-door rear hatch.  It looks kind of like a Mini made out of clay, honestly, as it’s kind of smooth all over in a plastic way.

The other is the Ray, a production electric Kia plans to roll out this year for initial Korean sales.  The Ray is a more realistic minivan design.  It features a 50kW electric motor and 16.4kWh battery that the company plans to offer under a 10-year warranty akin to the 10yr/100k warranty its parent company (Hyundai) offers on gasoline powertrains.

Interestingly, Kia has also developed a fast-charge mode capable of fully charging the Ray’s battery pack in 25 minutes at 220V.  The Ray may come to North America in the next two years provided a market can be found for it.

Both cars are showing off what Kia calls its User-Centered Driving telematics (UCD).   These are informational displays and connectivity that allow the user to control several in-cabin features with minimal distraction.  UCD will slowly become standard in all Kia models as the technology perfects.

See also KIA’s electric cars debut at CES, skip Detroit Show at TorqueNews.

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