In a recent interview with the media, Kia India’s Vice President and Head of Sales & Marketing, Hardeep Singh Brar, disclosed that the South Korean automaker plans to introduce two new electric cars by the end of 2026.
Brar simply hinted that the KIA two electric vehicles will be more mass-market versions rather than its existing offering of premium EVs. It did not disclose which EVs will be arriving. The second half of 2025 will see the introduction of the two new EVs. Sometime in 2026, the second model will be released. It will be a “grounds-up EV,” he continued, suggesting that it might be an all-electric car like the EV3 or EV5. The two next electric vehicles (EVs) will be produced domestically in India, although the EV6 and EV9 arrive as fully assembled (CBU) models.
KIA Focusing on Affordable EV
In the Andhra Pradesh district of Anantapur, Kia India maintains a manufacturing facility. The plant can produce 3,000,000 units annually with its installed capacity. The two new EVs’ body types, however, were not disclosed by the manufacturer. Even though the government is promoting the switch to electric vehicles, just about 2% of cars now on the road are electric.
Sector analysts claim that the lack of proper charging infrastructure and the stark price gap between conventional internal combustion engine (ICE) models and electric automobiles are the main causes of the poor uptake. Sector analysts claim that the lack of proper charging infrastructure and the stark price gap between conventional internal combustion engine (ICE) models and electric automobiles are the main causes of the poor uptake.
Even though batteries make up 35–40% of the cost of an electric vehicle (EV), a significant drop in battery prices in the last two to three years, from approximately USD 150–160/kWh to USD 110–120/kWh, has helped original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) lower production costs and offer more competitive prices for their products.
For its part, the government is concentrating on enhancing the infrastructure for charging. The public charging network would be expanded with an investment of Rs 2,000 crore under the recently introduced PM E-DRIVE plan.
