Following Hyundai’s move earlier this week, Kia also presented an electrification strategy at its 2022 Investor Day, pledging to have 14 completely electric models by 2027 and 1.2 million electric vehicles (EV) sales by 2030.
It also stated that its EV9 SUV, unveiled as a concept at the LA Auto Show last November, will be the first vehicle to feature autonomous driving technology called ‘Automode’.
Kia’s vision is founded on its ‘Plan S’ development strategy from 2021, which comprised new branding and the goal to launch seven electric vehicles by 2027, but it is now aiming at putting 14 BEV (battery electric vehicle) models on the market by then, with total EV sales of 1.2 million by 2030.
Kia also intends to sell four million vehicles annually by 2030, with EVs accounting for a bit over a quarter of this figure, as compared to Mercedes-Benz that will only sell BEVs exclusively by the same year.
Production Plans
The goal seems outrageous as it starts with selling 160,000 BEVs this year to go up fivefold to 807,000 units in 2026, and 1.2 million in 2030.
Kia will release at least two new EVs every year to accomplish these targets, including electric pickup trucks with a “dedicated electric pickup truck and a strategic model for emerging markets,” it claimed.
About Kia EV9
Kia’s flagship EV9 SUV will be launched by 2023. Last year, it had unveiled a prototype model with boxy Range Rover-like aesthetics, a giant 27-inch display, and a Tesla-style yoke replacing the conventional steering wheel. The automaker revealed that it will be roughly five meters in length, able to accelerate to 100 km/h (62 mph) in just five seconds, will cover 540 km (340 miles) on a single charge, and will have an additional 100 km of range after only six minutes of charging.
For the first time, EV9 will have over-the-air (OTA) and feature-on-demand (FoD) capabilities that will allow the owners to seamlessly upgrade its firmware.
Kia also announced that EV9 will be the first to feature “Kia’s advanced AutoMode autonomous driving technology,” after which Automode will be “rapidly expanded” to the entire lineup.
Autonomous Driving Technology
The new system seems to be “a spectrum of autonomous driving technologies” which will incorporate a highway driving pilot capability that will operate autonomously on highways without needing the driver’s input. The improvements will also include wireless updates as technology advances.
What remains to be seen now is how Kia does with Level 3 self-driving which has been introduced by only a few car makers.
Kia also issued a press release detailing how and where it intends to offer electric, plug-in hybrid, and hybrid vehicles internationally. It already made significant changes to its plans last year and will probably do the same again.
Nonetheless, it has every reason to be optimistic about its potential EV projects, given the EV6’s early success with 2,126 units sold in February, and surprisingly positive reviews.
Via Engadget
