Kia says it will have ready its first solely all-electric model next year.
The Kia lineup already includes two electric vehicles, the Soul EV and the Niro EV. However, these two models are also sold with conventional powertrains. In the case of the Niro, consumers can even choose between a hybrid and a plug-in hybrid configuration.
Next year, the company has just confirmed, we’ll see a Kia vehicle built exclusively with an all-electric powertrain. This will be the first of seven set to be introduced in seven different segments by 2027. This news, announced as part of the unveiling of the manufacturer's electric strategy carried out yesterday in South Korea by Kia CEO Ho Sung Song, is part of a plan to have 25% of the brand's worldwide sales come from 100% electric vehicles by 2029.
Kia made the announcement regarding its electrification strategy a month after parent company Hyundai announced that it is creating a division dedicated to electric vehicles, the Ioniq brand. Hyundai Motors aims to sell one million electric vehicles worldwide by 2025. The automotive giant hopes to capture 10% of market share globally by then.
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The Kia EV scheduled first, due to be launched globally next year, is currently code-named CV. The crossover will be assembled on a new electric global modular platform, called the E-GMP. According to Kia, the E-GMP will enable the vehicle to offer the most generous interior volume in its class.
"Kia is planning to respond to market demands by offering diversified product types, with a range of models suitable for urban centers, long-range journeys, and performance driving," the company said.
The CV will be the flagship model in a new line of electric vehicles that will include 11 models by 2025. By 2027, since seven of those models will be purely electric, it’s expected that other approaches will be in the works, perhaps in plug-in hybrid form; that remains to be seen.
By 2025, Kia wants 20% of its sales within developed markets such as North America, Europe and South Korea to consist of all-electric vehicles.
Kia has sold more than 100,000 electric vehicles since the launch of its first model, the Ray EV, in 2011.
