Aju Business Daily

SEOUL -- South Korea's Hyundai auto group unveiled its first electric minibus called "County Electric" equipped with a 128-kWh lithium-ion-polymer (LiPo) battery that provides a range of 250 kilometers (155 miles) on a full charge.

The battery can be fully charged in 72 minutes using a standard system and 17 hours using a household 220V outlet, Hyundai said. LiPo is a rechargeable battery of lithium-ion technology using a polymer electrolyte instead of a liquid electrolyte and provides higher specific energy than other lithium battery types.

The minibus is equipped with an electronically controlled, air-over-hydraulic brake system with more robust brake discs to handle increased vehicle weight, Hyundai said, adding a virtual engine sound system and a rear parking assist system warn pedestrians.

"County Electric is a zero-emission bus that offers tremendous safety and convenience features for drivers and passengers," Hyundai's commercial vehicle division head Lee Yoon said.

Sensors trigger an alarm when a body part gets caught in the door and automatically opens the door. An ultrasonic sensor is connected to the bus’s acceleration pedal, which prevents the bus from moving forward from a stop when passenger movement is detected.

A battery monitoring system can automatically cut the power when a battery abnormality is detected, while an overcharge prevention system checks the battery voltage during charging and cuts the power when an abnormal voltage is detected.

Other features include an auxiliary braking system that adjusts the strength of regenerative braking in four levels using a paddle shift attached to the steering wheel to adjust braking force without brake operation. An LCD instrument panel with a 7-inch main screen and two 4.2-inch auxiliary screens provides various vehicle information