Kia to establish line-up of 14 battery electric models by 2027

Kia has unveiled its roadmap to 2030, building on its 'Plan S' strategy, which reveals further details on how the company will achieve its vision to become a Sustainable Mobility Solutions Provider.

Kia also announced its four key business targets for 2030, which includes accelerating electrification and achieving annual sales of 1.2 million battery electric vehicle (BEV) units by 2030.

The company aims to reach four million annual vehicle sales by 2030, including over two million eco-friendly models, as well as  expand the application of connected car feature and autonomous driving technologies to all new vehicles; and become the number one brand in the global purpose-built vehicle (PBV) market by 2030.

During the two years since first revealing its Plan S strategy, Kia has developed into a leading global electric vehicle (EV) brand while recording its highest ever gross revenue and operating profit in 2021. Kia aims to continue this positive momentum to create further value in both qualitative and quantitative aspects from 2022 onwards.

Starting with an annual global sales goal of 3.15 million units in 2022, Kia aims to continue its quantitative growth by building on the company’s world-leading product quality. The aim is to achieve four million units in 2030, a 27 per cent increase from Kia’s target for 2022.

As part of this quantitative growth, the company will also expand sales of eco-friendly vehicles (including BEVs, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) through enabling and accelerating its electrification efforts.

The company will make the sales of these vehicles the focus of future business growth. Kia will expand the proportion of eco-friendly cars from 17 per cent of global sales in 2022 to 52 per cent in 2030.

In major markets with strong environmental regulations and a growing demand for EVs, such as Korea, North America, Europe and China, Kia plans to increase its proportion of eco-friendly car sales by up to 78 per cent by 2030.

Starting in 2023, Kia plans to launch at least two BEVs per year and build a full line-up of 14 BEVs by 2027. Compared to its previous plan to release 11 models by 2026, Kia will add two electric pickup trucks – a dedicated electric pickup truck and a strategic model for emerging markets – and an entry-level BEV model.

Kia plans to reaffirm its leadership in the EV market through its flagship electric vehicle the EV9, set for launch in 2023. Although the EV9 is a large SUV with a total length of around five metres, it boasts excellent acceleration of 0-100km/h in five seconds, and range of approximately 540km on a full charge. It can also provide 100km driving range on just a six-minute charge.

A first for Kia, the EV9 will also feature OTA (Over the Air) and FoD (Feature on Demand) services that will allow customers to selectively purchase software functions. In addition, it will be the first model to be equipped with Kia’s advanced AutoMode autonomous driving technology.