Kia expands its EV plans as the first model gets the best EV of year award

Kia’s first EV model Kia EV6 recently won an award, the US News award for best EV of the year. As the success of the model continues, the company expanded the model’s production in addition to its EV plans. The brand will be launching more than 11 new EV models by 2027, which will be 14 models globally. Also, 9 new models are to be launched in the US by 2029.

Image credits- Auto Car

The expansion announcement comes as Kia VP of Sales and Operations North America, Eric Watson talks in an interview. Said, “thirty percent of our sales will come from electric vehicles by the end of the decade, and we’ll get to fifty percent in the early 2030s.” These changes will increase Kia’s percent of sales from six percent in the US.

The details about the models are vague but noted to be a crossover segment. Two models would be dying this trend as the brand introduced 2 new EV pickups. One of the at least is expected to come to the US later. The brand also decided to introduce its own Santa Cruz last year. With the Ford F-150 Lightning and Tesla Cybertruck craze Kia could also enter the electric pickup market.

Kia models

Some models that are confirmed by the VP statements include the EV9, a three-row variant of the EV6 that was shown as a concept vehicle at the LA Auto Show last year. The VP noted that the EV9 would “open up the opportunity for those that need the size of the vehicle, whether it be for hauling kids, going into Costco and loading up all your groceries on a big weekend trip or towing the boat.” Sibling brand Hyundai will also likely be introducing an IONIQ 7, a three-row version of the IONIQ 5 design.

Another move the company wants to make to help push consumers toward EVs is through investment in charging infrastructure. “Why it’s going to take us till the early 2030s to get to 50 percent and beyond is the building of the charging infrastructure, which will take both public and private partnerships,” Watson stated. Hyundai Motor Group plans to sell over 3 million EVs every year by 2030 across the globe. Hyundai and Kia also recently agreed to spend $16.5 billion to produce electric vehicles at a new factory in South Korea.

Notably, the brand has confirmed that it plans for all future bespoke EVs to follow the Kia EV6 in gaining a GT-badged performance range-topper. It promises that these EVs will have “differentiated” designs from their standard counterparts.