GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

Kia's new Niro Hybrid appears to be a near perfect VIBE Clone!

http://www.automoblog.net/2016/02/24/fi ... ro-hybrid/

Kia Nero has some pretty impressive technical specifications. Significantly, it does not have a 12 Volt car battery! I've always wondered why a hybrid needed an "extra" battery.
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2016/02 ... 2-kia.html

Chiadog wrote:Kia Nero has some pretty impressive technical specifications. Significantly, it does not have a 12 Volt car battery! I've always wondered why a hybrid needed an "extra" battery.
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2016/02 ... 2-kia.html

The "extra" battery is a good idea in a hybrid IMO, with it comes to the likes of the Prius. (Something baout how the hybrid system is different from the likes of Ford's I recall reading)

If you are far from home and your hybrid bank goes to crap from a bad cell or two without warning, you can still start and drive it as a regular gas car with a starting battery and the gas engine.

BenWA wrote:

Chiadog wrote:Kia Nero has some pretty impressive technical specifications. Significantly, it does not have a 12 Volt car battery! I've always wondered why a hybrid needed an "extra" battery.
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2016/02 ... 2-kia.html

If you are far from home and your hybrid bank goes to crap from a bad cell or two without warning, you can still start and drive it as a regular gas car with a starting battery and the gas engine.

Anything is possible, but if I'm not mistaken that "Safety" battery let a lot of ford hybrid drivers down!

Chiadog wrote:

BenWA wrote:

Chiadog wrote:Kia Nero has some pretty impressive technical specifications. Significantly, it does not have a 12 Volt car battery! I've always wondered why a hybrid needed an "extra" battery.
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2016/02 ... 2-kia.html

If you are far from home and your hybrid bank goes to crap from a bad cell or two without warning, you can still start and drive it as a regular gas car with a starting battery and the gas engine.

Anything is possible, but if I'm not mistaken that "Safety" battery let a lot of ford hybrid drivers down!

That's what I meant. The Toyota system gives you a more of a fail safe backup way to drive if the hybrid system fails in one way or another. Ford's doesn't. And maybe Chevy's too? It's been a while since I read about it. I had considered a used Prius when I was considering cars; but I ultimately decided on the Matrix/Vibe.

As I recall, the Ford gas engine on a hybrid relies on the hybrid bank to start.

From memory, I think Ford and Toyota both use the planetary gear hybrid drive system, very complex but also the most efficient system. Both use a 12 volt car battery to start the engine.
The Kia Niro uses a much simpler hybrid system which is technically less efficient in operation, but offsets the efficiency deficit with a larger lithium ion battery, allowing for more miles driven before the engine is forced to run. The Niro system has only one motor/generator which is sandwiched between the engine and the automatic transmission. It'll be interesting to see how close they get to 50mpg!

I might be wrong on who is like Toyota and who isn't....

I was just checking the Niro out. Its interior dimensions are near identical to the First Gen Vibe. Nice! I'm interested in the plug-in hybrid due at the end of the year. One issue: it looks like the seats don't quite fold flat.

The 12v normal car battery closes the high voltage electrical contacts on the high voltage hybrid battery system, at least in Fords. That's all it is for.

Looks nice. What about the quality of Kia's recent small cars?