The Hyundai BlueOn is a subcompact

Subcompact car

Subcompact car is a North American term used to describe automobiles whose class size is smaller than that of a compact car, usually not exceeding in length, but larger than a microcar...

 5-door hatchback

Hatchback

A Hatchback is a car body style incorporating a shared passenger and cargo volume, with rearmost accessibility via a rear third or fifth door, typically a top-hinged liftgate—and features such as fold-down rear seats to enable flexibility within the shared passenger/cargo volume. As a two-box...

 electric car

Electric car

An electric car is an automobile which is propelled by electric motor, using electrical energy stored in batteries or another energy storage device. Electric cars were popular in the late-19th century and early 20th century, until advances in internal combustion engine technology and mass...

 to be produced by Hyundai Motor Company

Hyundai Motor Company

Hyundai Motor Company is a Korean multinational automaker based in Seoul, South Korea which, along with Kia, comprises the Hyundai Kia Automotive Group, the world's fourth largest automaker as of 2009. As of 2011, it is the world's fastest growing automaker for two years running...

. According to the manufacturer, the Blue-on all-electric range

All-electric range

All-electric range is the driving range of a vehicle using only power from its electric battery pack to traverse a given driving cycle. In the case of a battery electric vehicle, it means the total range per charge. For a plug-in hybrid , it means the range of the vehicle in charge-depleting mode...

 is 140 km (87 mi) and has a top speed of over 130 km/h (80.8 mph). Field testing with 30 units began in South Korea

South Korea

The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...

 by late 2010 and sales in the domestic market are scheduled for late 2012.

History

According to Hyundai the company the total investment to developed the BlueOn, its first production

Mass production

Mass production is the production of large amounts of standardized products, including and especially on assembly lines...

 electric car

Electric car

An electric car is an automobile which is propelled by electric motor, using electrical energy stored in batteries or another energy storage device. Electric cars were popular in the late-19th century and early 20th century, until advances in internal combustion engine technology and mass...

, was around 40 billion won

South Korean won

The won is the currency of South Korea. A single won is divided into 100 jeon, the monetary subunit. The jeon is no longer used for everyday transactions, and appears only in foreign exchange rates...

 . The prototype, an electric version of i10

Hyundai i10

The Hyundai i10 is a 5-door hatchback subcompact produced by the Hyundai Motor Company. It was launched in October 2007, replacing the Hyundai Atos in some markets.The i10 is produced in India at Hyundai's Chennai plant for the domestic and export markets...

, was first unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2009. The pre-production testing model was unveiled in Seoul

Seoul

Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...

 in September 2010, when the first of 30 units were delivered to South Korean government agencies for field testing. The carmaker plans to build 2,500 units by the end of 2012, but sales will be limited to the South Korean market.

Main features

The BlueOn is equipped with a 16.4 kWh  lithium polymer (Li–Poly) battery pack and charges in 6 hours with a 220 V power outlet and in 25 minutes to 80% with three-phase electric power

Three-phase electric power

Three-phase electric power is a common method of alternating-current electric power generation, transmission, and distribution. It is a type of polyphase system and is the most common method used by grids worldwide to transfer power. It is also used to power large motors and other heavy loads...

 (in a 380 V outlet). The maximum speed is 130 km/h (80.8 mph) and 0-100 km/h is achieved in 13.1 seconds. The BlueOn has a range

All-electric range

All-electric range is the driving range of a vehicle using only power from its electric battery pack to traverse a given driving cycle. In the case of a battery electric vehicle, it means the total range per charge. For a plug-in hybrid , it means the range of the vehicle in charge-depleting mode...

 of 140 km (87 mi) on a single charge.

The BlueOn is based on the Hyundai i10

Hyundai i10

The Hyundai i10 is a 5-door hatchback subcompact produced by the Hyundai Motor Company. It was launched in October 2007, replacing the Hyundai Atos in some markets.The i10 is produced in India at Hyundai's Chennai plant for the domestic and export markets...

 and features an electric warning sound

Electric vehicle warning sounds

Electric vehicle warning sounds are a series of sounds designed to alert pedestrians to the presence of electric drive vehicles such as hybrid electric vehicles , plug-in hybrid electric vehicles , and all-electric vehicles travelling at low speeds...

 developed by Hyundai called the Virtual Engine Sound System (VESS). The warning system will be included in the BlueOn test fleet and it will provide synthetic audio feedback mimicking the sound of an internal combustion engine

Internal combustion engine

The internal combustion engine is an engine in which the combustion of a fuel occurs with an oxidizer in a combustion chamber. In an internal combustion engine, the expansion of the high-temperature and high -pressure gases produced by combustion apply direct force to some component of the engine...

(ICE).