Kia plans to introduce 14 new electric vehicles (EVs) by 2027, including the brand’s first pickup truck. The Korean automaker, part-owned by Hyundai Motor Group, announced the plan as part of its “roadmap to 2030” event this week.
Just Two EVs Today
Kia currently sells two EVs in the U.S. The 2022 Kia Niro EV is a first-generation EV – a vehicle built to accommodate a gasoline powertrain and modified to work as an EV. The Niro is a small crossover known for its affordable price and user-friendly tech. It is also available as both a hybrid and a plug-in hybrid with 26 miles of electric-only range.
The 2022 EV6 is Kia’s other current EV. It’s a more capable second-generation EV – one designed from the start to operate with electric power. It keeps all of its running gear beneath a flat floor, allowing for a surprisingly roomy cabin in the footprint of a sleek, compact hatchback.
That skateboard-like EV platform is the key to Kia’s growth plans. Such platforms can be scaled up or down to build vehicles that meet different needs.
Kia will use its platform to build 14 new EVs within five years.
Flagship Electric SUV
We’ve seen a preview of one. In a press release, Kia says its “flagship electric vehicle” will be a large SUV called the EV9.
The company showed off a stunning concept under that name in November. The concept included features that almost certainly won’t make it into a production car, such as coach-style pillarless doors. But its shape, which updated the distinctive shape of its quirky Soul hatchback and stretched it to the proportions of the popular Telluride 3-row SUV, could easily find its way to showrooms.
Kia says the EV9 “boasts excellent acceleration of 0-100km/h [62 miles per hour] in five seconds and range of approximately 540km [335 miles] on a full charge.”
Pickup Truck, Budget EV Coming
The brand will also launch a pair of electric pickup trucks, though only one will likely reach the U.S. market. Kia gave no hint as to the size of the truck we will get but says the other will be “a strategic model for emerging markets.”
The company also plans an “entry-level” EV model. The least-expensive EV in the U.S. today is the 2022 Nissan Leaf – available for less than $20,000 after a $7,500 federal EV tax incentive. But the Leaf is on its way out, due to be replaced by a (likely more expensive) SUV by 2025. That leaves a significant hole in the market, with possibly no EV under $30,000 for sale in the U.S. soon.
