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A high-speed electric car, capable of four times the mileage of similar models using diesel, has taken to the streets of Seoul.
Seoul City said Monday that five electric medium-sized recreational vehicles (RV) have been put into service for the municipal government.
The vehicle can run at a maximum speed of 150kph and cover 140 kilometers on a fully charged battery. There are no exhaust emissions and little noise.
The vehicle takes nine seconds to accelerate to 100kph, much less than the 15 seconds needed for conventionally powered cars.
The running cost is 27 won per kilometer ― or 40,000 won a month when it travels 40 kilometers a day. A similar RV using a diesel engine will use up 140,000 won worth of fuel.
The vehicle is equipped with a 36kW battery pack produced by LG Chemical and a locally made water-cooled 150kW engine.
The high-speed electric car is much faster than low-speed electric vehicles running at 60kph. As a result, it will be able to use all roads, including expressways which have a minimum speed limit of 80kph.
The new vehicle has six seats, compared to two seats for low-speed cars.
“People will be able to convert conventionally powered vehicles to high-speed electric ones from November but the remodeling cost is still high,” a city official said. “Local governments in Barcelona and Chicago have shown great interest in the high-speed electric car project.”
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