Kia Aero Soul

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It looks like the financial crisis that's affecting the automotive industry did not affect the manufacturer's good spirit, with April Fool's Day coming tomorrow, and the jokes have started to appear. The first one comes from Kia, which probably got inspired by the record-braking wind-powered Ecotricity Greenbird, with the Kia Aero-Soul concept. The Kia Aero-Soul concept uses the Air Propulsion and Retardation Installation Line, in the images, to reduce fuel consumption and exhaust emissions.

The system used by Kia Aero-Soul will be made available as a bolt-on accessory. The Kia Aero-Soul uses small sensors in the front and rear bumpers which monitor external wind speed. when needed, the Kia Aero-Soul deploys panels to provide additional directional impetus.

The Kia Aero-Soul price has not been announced yet, but it will become available tonight at midnight.

Kia Press Release:

In a dramatic move aimed at delivering environmental benefits without expensive technology Kia has revealed its new Aero-Soul concept that reduces fuel consumption and exhaust emissions with a simple and low-cost system called Air Propulsion and Retardation Installation Line.

Although unveiled on the company’s stylish and fun cross-over Soul the patented system can be



easily extended to all the company’s vehicles and will even be available as a bolt-on accessory for vehicles already in use.

The system relies on small sensors built into the front and rear bumpers which monitor external wind speed and deploy panels when the wind is sufficient to provide additional directional impetus according to the car’s behaviour.

So at cruising speeds if the wind behind the car is strong – such as in winter gales – the panels will harness wind power to provide forward motion. If the car is slowing or under braking

the panels will deploy to provide additional retardation effort. Additionally a small electrically powered baffle can be lowered just behind the exhaust pipe under harsh braking to provide the kind of “reverse-thrust” normally associated with aircraft during landing – this element will only be available as a factory-fitted device.

Systems Manager Avril Babo at Kia’s Eco-Technology Research Institute in Mabuk, south of Seoul said: “The big problem with most emission reduction systems is that they are expensive.

We wanted to come up with an answer that didn’t cost the earth and could be retrospectively applied to cars already on the road.

“Tests of this system at our Nong Dam facility have shown that during windy weather fuel consumption can be reduced by up to 25 per cent and emissions by anything up 40 per cent. Even in calm weather using the system simply under braking can result in reductions of 10 per cent and 15 per cent respectively. In perfect conditions – downhill with a following wind fuel use and exhaust gasses can be reduced to almost zero! Plus, brake-pad life can be extended by anything up to 50 per cent depending on driver behaviour, she added.

The new A.P.R.I.L. system will be available on all vehicles ordered after midnight on March 31, 2010 and the accessory pack will be available the following day. Prices will be announced in due course.

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Source: Kia