Hyundai unveils its first fully-electric production car

Hyundai is a big company. But it's never really enjoyed "brand prestige".

In most of the world, Hyundai cars were perceived as merely a cheap means of transportation. They were never considered as competition for the more established Japanese brands. Until now.

A mix of pure luck (Toyota's recall woes), and relevant products (i45, i30, Tuscon) have helped the South Korean carmaker put its stamp on the family car market.

Now, they're planning to plan to do the same thing with the EV market.

Called the BlueOn, this thrifty little car features an 80-hp electric motor, which is powered by a lithium ion polymer (LiPoly) battery pack.

Compared to the more common nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) batteries, the BlueOn's LiPoly power source is 30 percent lighter, and 40 percent smaller, which allows the car to achieve a respectable top speed of 130 km/h, and a driving range of 140 km.

The Hyundai BlueOn will also sprint to 100 km/h in 13.1 seconds, which is quicker than some petrol powered cars in its class. Another unique feature of Hyundai's Full-Speed EV is called VESS - Vehicle Engine Sound System.

This system creates an artificial sound to alert pedestrians of the otherwise silent running car.

Hyundai is providing the South Korean government with 30 BlueOn's for a 2-year controlled study of EV charging infrastructure.

The BlueOn's powertrain was first introduced at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show. Since then, it's underwent several hundred thousand kilometre's of testing.

Hyundai says that they plan to produce 2,500 BlueOn's by 2012. However, most of those will likely go to fleet customers.