Kia's EV strategy: smaller, cheaper cars such as the EV3 Hatch and EV4 Sedan

The EV3 is the first model of the brand with Kia Carpay, which can be used, for example, to pay for parking. It is also the first KIA model that an AI assistant at Chatgpt absorbs to broaden its suggestions in the car through voice. Inside, the EV3 uses different types of recycled plastics, including collected materials via its Ocean Cleanup project. These include 40 percent of the EV3s Trunk Liner, a nod to Kia's planned expansion of sustainable materials.

Kia says that the EV3 is estimated at 36,000 euros (around $ 37,800), between the EV2 and the EV4. All three will be offered for less than 40,000 euros ($ 42,000), an attractive price point at a time when the EV acceptance is planned. There is not yet a word about how that translates to American prices.

Kia's fully electric modular van, the PV5

Another interesting development for Kia is the coming platform outside vehicle (PBV) Line -up, which starts with the PV5. Four variants of Kia's modular electric van are in the plan, including freight, passenger, crew and wheelchair access vehicle (WAV) options. Although Kia will not say whether the PV5 is being sold in the US, the WAV version has the most potential, with smart functions that are designed to expand mobility for everyone.

Kia works together with Braunability, a company located in Indiana that makes wheelchair -accessible vans and wheelchair lifts for the PV5 WAV. Also in conversations with Kia is the German of conversion company Westfalia, and Song says that the company is studying the possibility of marketing the PV5 as a motorhome – something that it also investigated at SEMA last year.

The fast wheelchair ramp of the PV5, which loads from the passenger door, can support a load of up to 661 LBS (300 kg). Kia says that access to the side doors can board wheelchair users and passengers through the same access point on the sidewalk, which improves safety. And because the slope is installed in the factory, wheelchair users do not have to send their van to a conversion head that can cost tens of thousands of dollars.

Other versions of the PV5 are passenger, freight and crew cabin congurations. In the past year, Kia spent quite some time with Rideshare Service Uber and Taxi CAB companies to better understand the required functionality, such as measurement. It is a smart strategy, because drivers on the Uber platform go six to seven times faster than the general population in the US and Europe, Kia said in January.

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