Kia Corporation has unveiled three new compact and subcompact electric vehicle (EV) models as it targets 1m EV sales annually by 2026, rising to 1.6m by 2030.
The automaker said it aims to offer a broad EV line at prices ranging between US$30,000 to $80,000, including existing models such as the EV6 and EV9 as well as new smaller models in the popular compact and subcompact (C and B) segments such as the EV5, EV4, and EV3.
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Prices for these three would range between $35,000 and $50,000 which the company expects will help accelerate and broaden the adoption of its EVs worldwide. A small EV2 coming later would slot in below this price range.
Kia also announced a broad EV strategy which includes improving customer convenience and reliability while addressing common concerns such as charging infrastructure.
The company showed off a pre-production EV5, a compact SUV targeting “millennial families”. The model is built on Hyundai Motor Group’s (HMG) dedicated E-GMP EV platform. The two other new models, the EV3 and EV4, were smaller EV concepts.
The EV3 is intended to bring the qualities and comforts available in the brand’s existing flagship EV model, the EV9 full-size SUV, to lower segment customers while the EV4 brings a “striking” sedan design to the EV line.
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By GlobalDataKia president and CEO Ho Sung Song said: “Kia is keenly focused on providing solutions to the concerns that continue to cause hesitation when it comes to making an EV purchase. We will meet customer expectations by offering a full line-up of EVs at various price points and improve charging infrastructure availability.”
Song added “by developing advanced EV technology, offering bold designs and intuitive services, and applying them to our entire EV line-up, our ultimate aim is to provide Kia’s unique value to as many people as possible.”
Kia also unveiled plans to improve customer experience by developing various features into a user friendly smartphone application, introduce new services at physical locations and provide customers with in-vehicle artificial intelligence (AI) services.
Kia said it is also actively expanding its global charging networks to ensure that a reliable charging infrastructure is available for its customers worldwide. The company has decided to adopt the North American Charging Standard (NACS) for EVs sold in that region from the fourth quarter of 2024, giving customers access to around 12,000 Tesla Superchargers. Kia is also helping to build 30,000 fast charging stations across North America by 2030 in a collaboration with six vehicle manufacturers, to address charging accessibility concerns.
In Europe it is collaborating with four vehicle manufacturers to create Ionity which aims to have 7,000 fast charging stations available on key highways by 2025.
