In an Investor Day update, Kia recently updated the status of its Plan S product plan. The gist is that the company’s pace for electrification has quickened with the automaker set to deliver 11 new electric vehicles by 2026.
“Kia is being reborn in 2021 with a new logo, new design, and new corporate name,” said President Song. “Kia will transform into a brand that excites and inspires customers with innovative mobility experiences.”
By 2030, Kia projects that electric vehicles (EVs), hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) will make up 40 percent of all sales. The company is targeting around 1.6 million of these types of vehicles sold annual. Within that figure is the expectation that Kia will grow EV sales to 880,000 units by 2030 and become a “top global seller”.
Kia revealed a new logo and slogan while setting a Guinness World Record for fireworks earlier this year.
Photo courtesy of Kia Motors
Kia expected their RV (recreational vehicle) sales share to rise from 56 percent in 2020 to 65 percent in 2025.
Seven of the new models will be built on the new Electric-Global Modular Platform (E-GMP) architecture. Four will be based on existing internal combustion engine (ICE) derivatives. Models build on the E-GMP platform are expected to set new benchmarks for all-electric range, driving performance, interior space, and technology, according to the company. They will also function as smart devices, with audio video navigation telematics, over-the-air tech, and feature on demand (FoD) services.
According to the presentation, one of the models will roll out this year and another will come in 2022. Plan on three in 2023, two in 2024, and two or three in 2025-2026.
Kia “CV”
The first dedicated EV Kia will bring to market is codenamed “CV”. It will have Highway Driving Assist Level 2 (HDA2) technology. Level 2 technology encompasses advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) technology. ADAS is advanced enough that the vehicle can perform steering and acceleration functions, but requires a driver to monitor the tech at all times and intervene when necessary. General Motors’ Super Cruise is just one of the brand name technologies that qualifies for this designation.
Starting in 2023, Kia EVs will be equipped with Highway Driving Pilot (HDP), a step further toward Level 3 development.
The first dedicated EV from Kia, codenamed CV, will be featured with HDA2 (Highway Driving Assist Level 2) technology. Starting in 2023, Kia EVs will be equipped with Highway Driving Pilot (HDP), a crucial autonomous driving Level 3 development.
Further details on the CV will be made public in March 2021.
Purpose-built vehicles
Kia’s first purpose-built vehicle (PBV) will be revealed by 2022. The automaker recently announced that it is working on next-generation military vehicles. That development program will replace the Korean military’s current 2.5- and 5.0-ton vehicles.
The new vehicles will be created on the company’s new PBV platform. Kia plans to cooperate with other companies to develop micro/large board platforms for unmanned delivery and e-commerce sectors. The company will also advance its own highly scalable small board platforms and technologies. Kia is targeting annual sales of 1 million PBV units by 2030.
Mobility services
In the coming years, Kia will expand existing services. In Spain, the company’s flagship car-sharing service Wible will be expanded with Wible Más and Wible Empresas (tentatively named). KiaMobility, which was launched in September in Italy and Russia as a pilot program, will soon launch in additional markets in Europe.
Additional mobility initiatives include business-to-government and business-to-business services. This EV-centric program combines the benefits of subscription and car-sharing allowing vehicles to be used for business on weekdays and rented by individuals on the weekends.
The Kia Flex subscription program was introduced in Korea in 2019 and will launch globally later this year under the “Kia Subscription” name. The service will be operated by Sixt Leasing, which was acquired by Hyundai Motor Group last year, and the vehicles will be provided by the company’s regional affiliates and dealers.
