Tech

Kia’s EV strategy: Smaller, cheaper cars like the EV3 hatch and EV4 sedan

By skynews

Posted on 27/02/2025

Kia’s EV strategy: Smaller, cheaper cars like the EV3 hatch and EV4 sedan

The EV3 is the brand’s first model to include Kia CarPay, which could be used to pay for parking, for instance. It’s also the first Kia model to include an AI assistant with ChatGPT to broaden its in-car suggestions via voice. Inside, the EV3 uses several kinds of recycled plastics, including collected materials through its Ocean Cleanup project. These comprise 40 percent of the EV3’s trunk liner, a nod to Kia’s planned expansion of sustainable materials.

Kia says the EV3 is estimated to start at 36,000 euros (about $37,800), between the EV2 and the EV4. All three will be offered for under 40,000 euros ($42,000), an attractive price point at a time when EV adoption is plateauing. There’s no word yet on how that translates to US prices.

Kia’s all-electric modular van, the PV5

Another interesting development for Kia is the upcoming Platform Beyond Vehicle (PBV) lineup, which starts with the PV5. Four variants of Kia’s modular electric van are in the plan, including cargo, passenger, crew, and wheelchair access vehicle (WAV) options. While Kia won’t say if the PV5 will be sold in the US, the WAV version has the most potential, with smart features designed to expand mobility for all.

Kia is partnering with BraunAbility, an Indiana-based company that makes wheelchair-accessible vans and wheelchair lifts for the PV5 WAV. Also in talks with Kia is German van conversion company Westfalia, and Song says the company is studying the possibility of marketing the PV5 as a camper van—something it also explored at SEMA last year.

The PV5’s quick-use wheelchair ramp, which loads from the passenger side door, can support a load of up to 661 lbs (300 kg). Kia says the side-door access allows wheelchair users and passengers to board through the same entry point onto the sidewalk, which improves safety. And because the ramp is installed at the factory, wheelchair users don’t have to send their van to a conversion shop, which can cost tens of thousands of dollars.

Other versions of the PV5 include passenger, cargo, and crew cab configurations. In the past year, Kia spent quite a bit of time with rideshare service Uber and taxi cab firms to better understand the required functionality, like metering. It’s a smart strategy, as drivers on the Uber platform go electric six to seven times faster than the general population in the US and Europe, Kia said in January.

Executives said PV5 production is planned to begin in July for Europe and its home market in Korea.

Article by:Source: Kristin Shaw