Kia goes big in its attempt to achieve maximum fuel economy with Niro Tri-Fuel. Three fuel types promise triple the fuel savings at the pump.
Kia says that it has achieved an unusual first in the hybrid vehicle segment with the Kia Niro Tri-Fuel.
Range anxiety is a common complaint among EV owners with this anxiety preventing some buyers from buying one. As a result, many of these buyers often gravitate towards hybrid or PHEV models as they attempt to get the best of both worlds while also saving money (depending on the model they choose.)
But what if you’re a buyer who thinks that a hybrid should get even more fuel economy and is willing to add a third type of fuel to try and boost their fuel-saving dollar even further? Kia’s Italy operations claims it has the answer and unveiled an unusual Kia Niro model called the Tri-Fuel which not only has an ICE engine and hybrid technology but also LPG capability in a first for the hybrid segment.
Kia Niro Tri-Fuel Goes Undercover
The Tri-Fule is the first production hybrid vehicle to be equipped with LPG capability with the conversion being done by an outside firm.
On the surface, there’s not much to tell the eye that this particular Niro is anything special with the exterior styling being shared with the standard hybrid model. However, look under the skin and specifically where the spare wheel is usually located and that’s when things begin to fall into place. Where the spare tire used to be is a small LPG (Liquid Petroleum Gas) tank that can hold 10.5 gallons of LPG and is on top of the existing 11.6-gallon gas tank.
Kia says that the two fuel sources allow the Tri-Fuel to go over 1,000 miles which is more than any EV and is a figure that even surpasses diesel-equipped vehicles. Slip inside the interior and owners will not notice much of a difference either with the cabin also being shared with the standard model. However, a small button by the engine stop/start button allows owners to switch from gasoline to LPG to fit the driving situation. The setup as a whole makes a combined 126 horsepower with the gas engine making 90 hp while the electric motor makes 43 hp. The electric motor is mated to a 1.32 kWh battery pack.
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Customers will pay extra for conversion
While the Tri0Fuel will be exclusive to Italy, the company is preparing for a big sales year for the model as a whole.
The Kia Niro Tri-Fuel comes with a full seven-year 93,205 mile (150,000 km) warranty but the LPG portion of the model is done by gas equipment company BRC which is part of Westport Fuel Systems Italia. Kia says that customers will potentially save €5,000 ($5,410) in fuel costs. However, these extreme savings come at an initially high cost with customers interested in a Tri-Fuel being asked to pay an additional €2,000 ($2,200) upcharge for the LPG installation. Pricing also reflects its unique character with the model having a starting price of $37,300 for the base model with the flagship model starting at $42,400 when conversion rates are applied.
Expect the Tri-Fuel to remain isolated to select markets with Kia not having any plans to bring this particular Niro variant to the U.S. If it did, the company would not only have to find a company in our country that’s capable of making the conversion safely, but also navigate the layers of red tape and regulations laid out by the federal government. As a result, look for the Tri-Fuel to remain a Europe-only exclusive with other countries besides Italy potentially getting in on the act over the next few years as tightening fuel economy regulations come into place.
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