Kia Corp. is expanding its global electric vehicle ambitions.
The Korean automaker said Wednesday that it will deliver 14 electric vehicles globally by 2027 — three more than it promised earlier.
The new plan now includes an entry-level vehicle and two pickups, and it will roll out at the rate of two vehicles a year beginning in 2023.
One of the pickups will be a dedicated model, which suggests it will be built on Hyundai Motor Co.'s E-GMP architecture. The other will be a "strategic model" for emerging markets, Kia said.
A source familiar with the plans said Kia is exploring the possibility of a global body-on-frame pickup, likely in the midsize segment. Body-on-frame architecture lends itself to electrification and could allow for multiple powertrain options.
The more aggressive EV target comes on the heels of Kia's launch this year of the EV6 electric crossover. The brand's Niro crossover, which offers three electrified variants, appears to be gaining favor at dealerships thanks to the EV6 launch. Niro sales rose 132 percent in February.
In the U.S., Kia's next electric entry will be the EV9, the company said. The vehicle will be approximately the size of the three-row Telluride crossover, stretching 194 inches. It was shown in concept form at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November.
The EV9 will have 300 miles of range and ultrafast charging capability that will allow the vehicle to recoup 80 percent of its battery in 30 minutes on a 350-kilowatt charger.
Kia also said last week that it will increase its annual worldwide sales to 4 million vehicles by 2030, a 27 percent increase over a 2022 target. That 2030 expectation will include sales of 1.2 million EVs. Kia previously planned to sell just 880,000 EVs by then.
The higher volume will come with a boost in the mix of what Kia is calling "eco-friendly vehicles," from 17 percent in 2022 to 52 percent in 2030, or 2 million sales. Kia's eco-friendly segment comprises all of its electrified offerings: hybrid, plug-in hybrid and battery-powered vehicles. The previous global sales plan targeted a 40 percent mix of such vehicles.
Kia anticipates that hybrids, plug-ins and EVs will represent as much as 78 percent of its sales in markets with stringent regulatory environments and growing consumer interest, including China, Europe, South Korea and North America.
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