2011 Kia Optima Lx Sedan 4-door 2.4l on 2040-cars

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Driverless cars from Kia hit the road in Nevada

Drivers in Nevada might soon spot a Kia Soul EV that pilots itself because the South Korean brand is the latest automaker to get authorization from the state to test autonomous vehicles on public roads. Kia's development of driverless tech is part of the company's $2 billion investment with Hyundai through 2018 to help bring some of these systems to production models. Rather than handing complete control to the computers immediately, Kia first plans to introduce partially driverless features on models by 2020. Its engineers intend to test technology like Traffic Jam Assist, Highway Autonomous Driving, Urban Autonomous Driving, an Emergency Stop System, and Autonomous Valet Parking on Nevada's roads. Kia doesn't foresee a fully piloted model on sale until 2030 and believes innovations in vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communications are necessary to make that possible. Nevada has been a vital site for autonomous technology development since the state passed a law to allow testing on public roads. Google was among the earliest to get a permit, and Audi also quickly jumped on board. Freightliner was first to expand the authorization to commercial vehicles with its license for the Inspiration semi truck earlier this year. We're sure more will follow in short order. Related Video: Kia Motors granted Nevada autonomous driving license - US state of Nevada grants Korean manufacturer permission to test autonomous driving technologies on public roads - Soul EV's Advanced Driver Assistance Systems tested in Beatty, Nevada - US$2 billion investment by 2018 to develop autonomous vehicle technology - Kia to introduce partially-autonomous driving technologies by 2020, with arrival of fully-autonomous vehicles targeted for 2030 (SEOUL) December 14, 2015 – Kia Motors has been granted a licence by the US state of Nevada to carry out testing of its autonomous driving technologies on public roads for the first time. Kia – together with sister company Hyundai – hopes to experiment with partially- and fully- autonomous driving technologies in real-world conditions, an important part of its roadmap for autonomous driving. Kia plans to introduce a range of partially-autonomous driving technologies to its model line- up including eco-friendly vehicles by 2020, and is aiming to bring its first fully-autonomous car to market by 2030.

Kia wants 11 green cars by 2020

Kia will invest $10.2 billion in an effort to become a more environmentally friendly automaker over the next five years, and the recently teased Niro hybrid crossover will be just the tip of the iceberg. The Korean automaker wants to more than double its green car lineup by 2020 to 11 models from the current four with plans for new hybrids, PHEVS, EVs, and even a hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle. This green rollout will start with an Optima PHEV (the 2014 hybrid variant is shown above) with a lithium-polymer battery and will continue with the Niro CUV. Spy shots also suggest both Hyundai and Kia have other dedicated hybrids under development, and rumors hint at their arrival in showrooms in 2017. "Global market demand is shifting to electric vehicles, with oil prices predicted to rise in future," Ki-Sang Lee, the senior vice president at Kia's Eco Friendly Vehicle R&D Center, said in the investment's announcement. Kia is already familiar with fuel-cell tech thanks to public testing in 2009, but the automaker really wants to push development with a mass-produced model in 2020. The new FCEV would use a 15- percent lighter and five-percent more efficient stack versus current units, and the setup would offer an estimated range of over 497 miles. The company hopes to build 1,000 of these vehicles annually at first. The automaker's green plan will also aim to boost the brand's average fuel economy by 25 percent from 2014 levels. To make that happen, Kia will replace seven of its 10 engine families and will cut the weight of future vehicles by five percent. The next-gen models will use more efficient transmissions too. KIA MAPS OUT FIVE-YEAR AMBITION FOR GREEN CAR LEADERSHIP Green car line-up expected to grow from four to 11 models by 2020 Kia targeting hydrogen fuel cell vehicle production within five years Kia aiming to improve average fuel efficiency by 25% over 2014 levels Roadmap for low emission cars includes clean combustion, hybrid- and pure- electric vehicles, and hydrogen fuel cells 70% of current engine range set to be replaced by more efficient units Kia Motors today announced its mid- to long-term plans for the development of a greatly increased range of environmentally friendly vehicles. The brand's 'green car roadmap' sets out Kia's ambition to become a leader in the low emissions car market by 2020.

Polestar 3 and 5 updates, and a compact Toyota pickup? | Autoblog Podcast #733

In this episode of the Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Senior Editor, Green, John Beltz Snyder. First, they discuss the news, including the possibility of a compact Toyota pickup, new details about the Polestar 3 and Polestar 5, whether Tesla needs a PR department and fresh info about the 2023 Honda HR-V. They also review the GMC Sierra, Kia EV6, Hyundai Kona Electric and Buick Enclave Avenir. Next, Consumer Editor Jeremy Korzeniewski reports from the ground at the first drive of the Ford Bronco Raptor, and Multimedia Producer Erik Maier joins in to talk about Autoblog's Father's Day gift guide and other deals. Send us your questions for the Mailbag and Spend My Money at: Podcast@Autoblog.com. Autoblog Podcast #733 Get The Podcast Apple Podcasts – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes Spotify – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast on Spotify RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown Toyota looking hard at compact pickup market Polestar 3 shows itself and looks good Polestar 5 electric sedan outed in EU patent images (and now we have spy shots) Does Tesla need a PR department? (via Automotive News) 2023 Honda HR-V pricing and specs revealed Cars we're driving: 2022 GMC Sierra 1500 Denali Ultimate 2022 Kia EV6 2022 Hyundai Kona Electric 2022 Buick Enclave Avenir Dispatch: 2022 Ford Bronco Raptor Father's Day gift ideas straight from the Autoblog staff Five excellent Father's Day deals for dads Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts Autoblog is now live on your smart speakers and voice assistants with the audio Autoblog Daily Digest. Say “Hey Google, play the news from Autoblog” or "Alexa, open Autoblog" to get your favorite car website in audio form every day. A narrator will take you through the biggest stories or break down one of our comprehensive test drives. Related video: