Recently, Kia held its first-ever “Kia EV Day,” during which it unveiled the EV3 SUV and the EV4 sedan in addition to sharing information on the Kia EV5. The notice of the auspicious day contained a few items that attracted our attention: Kia’s global EV plan involves additional specialized showrooms as well as production in India for a few markets. Let’s explore it in greater detail.
Newest Range from KIA EV
With the Kia EV6, Kia EV9, and now the EV5, Kia has demonstrated that it plans to cover a wide range of markets. While all three are built on the EV-specific E-GMP platform, they have varying sizes and are aimed at different types of customers. The EV5, EV4, and EV3 will be strategically launched shortly after the EV6, EV9, which have previously been released in the majority of markets.
Additionally, it was announced during Kia EV Day that “Strategically designed EV models tailored for emerging markets will be produced in India.” Currently, only the Kia EV6, a CBU import with a starting price of Rs 60.95 lakh (ex-showroom) from the Korean manufacturer, is available for purchase in India. However, by producing it domestically and scaling it up for export to other emerging regions, Kia may enter the mass-market EV field with products starting from about Rs 20–25 lakh. We believe that as part of that strategy, one of the recently unveiled EV concepts may be coming in our direction.
The automaker also stated that India is one of the areas where it intends to open stores that will only sell EVs. This would place Kia with several other companies already working on a similar customer experience strategy, like Tata.ev and possibly Mahindra. Kia has announced the opening of exclusive EV stores in India. Customers will receive a top-notch experience from the stores. Additionally, Kia intends to create exclusive EV outlets in China, Europe, and the US.
KIA’s future plans
By 2025, Kia intends to introduce three new models, including two electric vehicles. The EVs will be put together at Kia India’s plant in Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh.
Hyundai, the parent company of Kia, has recently declared aspirations to export its international electric vehicle platform to India. Current and next Kia electric models are anticipated to be introduced in India as the country’s EV industry expands and the country’s charging infrastructure gets better.
Kia outlined its global electric vehicle strategy at its own “EV Day” in Korea. The firm introduced two new electric cars.
