Kia has confirmed that the all-electric EV5 SUV will hit the production line later this year as the company moves forward with plans to sell 4.3 million vehicles annually by 2030.
During Kia’s recent CEO Investor Day in Seoul, Korea, the brand revealed that of the 4.3 million vehicles it expects to sell in 2030, 2.38 million will be electrified (55%). Additionally, some 1.6 million (37%) of Kia’s vehicles sold will be all-electric by this date and by 2027, it will be producing no less than 15 different EV models. In 2023, it expects to sell 258,000 EVs, accounting for 8% of sales.
The newly-launched Kia EV9 is the brand’s most recent EV and in the third quarter, will be followed up by a new version of the Ray EV produced exclusively for Korea. The most exciting new Kia model coming this year is the EV5. While the company hasn’t revealed many details about the production-ready EV5, it says it will initially launch in China during the fourth quarter.
Read: New Kia EV5 Concept Is The EV9’s Compact Electric Brother
Kia surprised many with the unveiling of the EV5 Concept in March. It serves as a smaller sibling to the EV9 and given how similar the production EV9 looks to the concept that previewed it, we suspect the road-going EV5 will look almost identical to the concept.
The final new model launched by Kia this year will be a next-generation Rio. Kia will also unveil updated versions of five of its existing models throughout 2023. The carmaker added that GT performance models will be launched for all of its future EVs.
Kia also spoke about its autonomous driving goals during the event. It is launching an updated version of its Level 3 Highway Driving Pilot (HPD) system on the EV9 this year and by 2024, will implement partial eye-off functions under certain conditions by updating the system through over-the-air updates. In 2026, a more advanced version of the system dubbed HPD2 will be introduced.
Moreover, the company confirmed plans that it will build EVs in Europe, China, India, and the U.S, noting that American production will start next year and allow it to benefit from the Inflation Reduction Act.
“In 2021, Kia went through a full-scale transformation of its corporate name, logo, product and design, as well as corporate strategy. As a result, our brand value has improved significantly, helping us to win a number of ‘Car of the Year’ awards in key markets,” Kia president and chief executive Ho Sung Song said during the event. “In order to become a Sustainable Mobility Solutions Provider, Kia needs to continue its efforts to strengthen Kia brand identity and establish an innovative and customer-centric business model.”
