Kia's wind-assisted Aero Soul

In a dramatic move aimed at delivering environmental benefits without expensive technology, Kia today revealed that it has successfully developed a simple and low-cost system that can dramatically reduce fuel consumption and exhaust emissions. The patented system, tested on a Soul, can be easily installed on all the company’s models and will even be available as a bolt-on accessory for existing models.

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 a typhoon wind – the panels will harness the 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 (only available as a factory-fitted device).

Systems Manager Avril Satu, who works 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% and emissions by anything up 40%. Even in calm weather, using the system simply under braking can result in reductions of 10% and 15% respectively. In perfect conditions – downhill with a following wind fuel use and exhaust gases can be reduced to almost zero! Plus, brake-pad life can be extended by anything up to 50% - depending on driver behaviour, of course," she added.

The new system, referred to as APR1L-1, will be available on all Kia 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.