Following the announcement of its corporate sibling, Hyundai, Kia is also accelerating its EV development. The Korean automaker is targeting to sell four million electrified vehicles by 2030, of which 1.2 million are battery electric vehicles (BEVs).
Starting in 2023, Kia plans to launch at least two BEVs per year and build a full line-up of 14 BEVs by 2027. Compared to its previous plan to release 11 models by 2026, Kia will add two electric pickup trucks—a dedicated electric pickup truck and a strategic model for emerging markets—and an entry-level BEV model.
Its EV9 (shown in concept form in the lead photo) will be launched in 2023. Although a large SUV with a total length of around five meters, it boasts excellent acceleration of 0 to 100 km/h in five seconds, and range of approximately 540 kilometers on a full charge. It can also provide 100 kilometers of driving range on just a six-minute charge.
It will also be the first Kia model to feature OTA (Over the Air) and FoD (Feature on Demand) services that will allow customers to selectively purchase software functions. In addition, it will be equipped with Kia’s advanced AutoMode autonomous driving technology.
Thanks to new models like the EV9, Kia aims to increase sales of its BEVs. Starting with 160,000 BEV sales this year, Kia aims to sell 807,000 units in 2026 and 1.2 million in 2030. They project that over 80 percent of its BEV sales in 2030 will come from Korea, North America, Europe, and China, with BEVs taking a 45 percent share of total Kia sales in these major markets.
To accommodate this expanding volume of EVs, the roles of individual production sites will evolve. Korea will serve as a global hub for research, development, production, and supply of EVs, while other global production sites will produce strategic EVs for each market.
In Europe, for example, small and medium-sized EVs will be produced starting from 2025. In the United States, where mid-sized SUVs and pickups are popular, electric versions of these models will be produced locally from 2024. In China, Kia plans to introduce mid-size electric vehicle models from next year, and India plans to produce entry and mid-size EV models from 2025.
Closer to the Philippines, Kia plans to supply batteries from the Indonesian battery cell joint venture and will simultaneously establish a stable battery supply and demand system by outsourcing to global battery companies.
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