No manufacturer wants to be left behind — Kia also has ambitious plans to electrify its portfolio afoot. Just recently, we unveiled the new Kia Niro EV, the 100% electric variant that joins the already marketed Niro HEV and Niro Plug-in.
But going down a step in the automobile electrification scale, Kia now presents its first semi-hybrid (mild-hybrid) 48V proposal, not associated with a gasoline engine, as we've seen in brands like Audi, but with a Diesel engine, as we saw in the Renault Grand Scenic Hybrid Assist.
It will be up to the Kia Sportage — one of the best-selling SUVs in its segment — to debut the new semi-hybrid Diesel. Sportage arrives at the end of the year, followed, in 2019, by the new Kia Ceed.
EcoDynamics+
The new engine will be identified as EcoDynamics+ and associates a Diesel block — which has yet to be announced — to an electric motor-generator that the brand calls MHSG (Mild-Hybrid Starter Generator).
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Powered by a 0.46 kWh lithium-ion battery, the MHSG is connected to the crankshaft of the diesel engine via a belt, being able to supply up to 10 kW (13.6 hp) extra to the heat engine , assisting you in starting and accelerating situations. As a generator, it collects kinetic energy during deceleration and braking, converting it into electrical energy that allows the battery to be recharged.
The adoption of the electrical component allowed new functionalities such as a more advanced stop&start. With the name of Moving Stop&Start , if the battery has enough charge, the heat engine can switch off completely in situations of deceleration or braking, returning “to life” with the pressure of the accelerator, further enhancing the reduction of consumption and, therefore, emissions.
Speaking of emissions…
Thanks to electrical assistance, Kia announces a 4% reduction in CO2 emissions for the new semi-hybrid diesel, compared to the same block without any assistance, and already in line with the WLTP standard. When it is launched, the SCR (Selective Catalytic Reduction), which deals with NOx (nitrogen oxides) emissions, will also be added to the diesel block's exhaust gas treatment arsenal.electrical plans
The introduction of 48V semi-hybrids is, as mentioned, another step in the electrification of the Korean brand. When the Kia Sportage semi-hybrid hits the market, Kia will be the first manufacturer to offer a range of models with hybrid, plug-in hybrid, electric and now 48V semi-hybrid options.
Until 2025, Kia's electric bet will include the launch of five hybrids, five plug-in hybrids, five electric ones and in 2020 the launch of a new fuel cell model.