Kia, the Korean car brand that recently revealed the all-electric EV9 seven-seater SUV, plans to drastically increase the number of zero-emission vehicles by the end of 2027, with as many as 15 models launched globally in the next four years, according to Autocar.
Currently, Kia sells the Niro EV and EV6 in the United States, with the EV9 SUV scheduled to go into production in Georgia next year, but as the company’s European marketing chief, David Hilbert puts it, this will change soon.
The Korean automaker will “have coverage in all major segments” with all-electric vehicles, with Hilbert hinting to Autocar that the updated lineup will span from a city-going EV1 to the EV9. However, not every new model will make it to the US, as small electric cars have historically been unattractive to American consumers.
Gallery: Kia Concept EV5
Instead, the smallest of the batch will head over to Europe. Additionally, the Asian brand will continue to offer models that will be available with multiple powertrain variants, such as the Niro, which can be ordered with electric, hybrid, and plug-in hybrid setups in some markets. It’s a similar tactic to that used by Toyota, which has recently announced that it wants to bring solid-state batteries to market that are capable of up to 900 miles of range by the end of the decade.
The next new all-electric Kia to debut on the Old Continent and possibly in the United States is the EV5, which will make an appearance at the beginning of 2024 after launching in China in the fourth quarter of this year. The EV5 was previewed back in March by the concept car bearing the same name.
In Europe, the focus will be on smaller vehicles like a compact crossover that would rival the Jeep Avenger and could carry the EV3 name, as well as a Volkswagen ID.2-rivaling EV1 that will use the same underpinnings as the next-generation Hyundai i10.
“All the major segments will be covered in some form [by 2027],” David Hilbert said. “We’ve got an existing model range with things like the Ceed family in the C-segment and those are important segments for us now and in the future.”
Furthermore, Kia will remain committed to offering hatchbacks and sedans in the future, instead of switching to an all-SUV lineup.
The Korean automaker wants to get more than half its global sales from electrified vehicles in 2030 as it targets a 34-percent higher total global volume of 4.3 million units.
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