Kia Motors president and CEO Ho Sung Song has announced that the automaker is speeding up its electrification program, just as we’ve seen other car companies do in recent weeks. Speaking this week during the company’s investor day meeting, the executive said that Kia will produce 11 new fully electric models by 2026.
Of those, seven will be built using the Hyundai Group’s E-GMP architecture. That platform is designed for use strictly with all-electric vehicles. The other four will be EVs derived from current models in its lineup.
In a sign of how quickly things are evolving in the industry at the moment, the 2026 target is one year sooner than what the automaker announced just one month ago.
Kia’s current roster includes two all-electric models, the Soul EV and Niro EV. The first of the four models to come that are based on existing models goes by the code name CV, and the plan is for it to have a range of 500 km, as well as a partial recharging time of 20 minutes (aim is to gain back 80 percent of charge on a Level 3 charger). Kia has promised more details on this model next months.
Discover Shopicar! All new makes and models and all current promotions.
Kia’s long-term plan calls for having 40 percent of its sales consist of BEVs, hybrids and PHEVs by 2030, totaling 1.6 million in sales. The company says it wants 880,000 of those sales to be made up of all-electric vehicles.
Kia is also looking to develop a range of autonomous-drive delivery vehicles. It aims to have a first model ready by 2022, with a goal of selling one million units of this vehicle type by 2030. Kia will work with other companies to develop specialized platforms adapted to their needs.
