The world is moving away from combustion-powered vehicles and, hence, towards electrified ones very fast. If you haven’t been living under a rock, you might have definitely noticed all the news regarding electric vehicles, and, of course, all the ones that have already made their way to the Indian market.
After all, India, too, is moving hard and fast towards electrification and all the mainstream manufacturers are taking the plunge to move towards the same. The Hyundai Motor Group, which comprises of both Hyundai and Kia Motors as different entities, are both planning to move towards electrification to reduce the brand’s carbon footprint and also to earn some brownie points as a green automaker.
Hyundai Motors India Limited – also said to be as Hyundai or HMIL – began this electrification journey with the launch of the Kona EV last year. The Kona EV is one of the first electric models to promise a sufficing range to hold itself as a worthy alternative to combustion-powered one – at least for those who commute less and are one step ahead of others in saving the environment.
However, India’s lacklustre charging infrastructure has held back the sales of the Kona EV and, of course, other EVs launched after the Hyundai. Also, the higher prices – as opposed to combustion-powered vehicles – doesn’t exactly make EVs all the more compelling, as of now.
But manufacturers are set on introducing EVs to the Indian market and the government is all set to support the manufacturers over time by building more charging stations and reducing taxes. So, having seen Hyundai’s first EV, here’s what we can expect from Kia not only in India but also on the global scale.
First and foremost, there has been an official teaser image unveiled by Kia cars. The carmaker has, at the beginning of this year, unveiled its EV strategy for the future. Dubbed ‘Plan S’ by the carmaker, the strategy involves Kia expanding its line-up to eleven battery electric vehicles (BEVs) by 2025.
As of now, internationally, Kia has two EVs in its product line-up, the Soul EV and Niro EV. Of these both, we’ve already tested the Soul EV in Korea last year, which, is a beautiful compact vehicle, with a massive range, spacious cabin and, practicality in spades. The Niro EV, on the other hand, was revealed at CES 2018. Both of these cars have not yet made it into the Indian market and there’s no official confirmation on either of these models coming to our shores anytime soon.
As for its further plans, the Korean carmaker is all set to debut a bespoke EV in 2021 as part a £19 billion strategy to transition to being a maker of electrified vehicles and mobility solutions in the next five years. With the ‘Plan S’ in the pipeline, the manufacturer is looking to establish “a leadership position in the future automotive industry”. It details planned new models, investment strategies and sales targets.
So, of the 7 new models Kia is expected to debut sometime soon, the first one is named Kia CV, which is the carmaker’s dedicated BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle) and it will be first sold in the global markets. The new range of vehicles will be based on Kia’s new Electric-Global Modular Platform (E-GMP) which is claimed to offer best-in-class interior space.
After all, as we can tell from the official image, future Kia electric vehicle product range will comprise of cars in different shapes and sizes to, of course, cater to a variety of consumers. This means that, in the future, there would be a Kia electric vehicle for everyone. The manufacturer is also looking to partner with several charging companies across the world.
Moreover, of all the future EVs to roll out of Kia’s factory shall comprise of at least 4 crossover or SUVs of various sizes, given the demand for high-riding vehicles all across the globe. Rest of it would include an electrified sportscar and a battery-powered hatchback. The company is also looking into ‘second-life’ battery-related businesses to promote a circular economy.
There’s however no official confirmation as to when or whether any of these would set its foot into the Indian market. However, given the brand’s ambition and current success story in India, it’s very likely for it to introduce at least one EV by next year.Also, grab the latest info on the upcoming cars, only at autoX.
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Swati