Seven new BEVs by 2027, says Kia

KUALA LUMPUR: Do you remember the 'Plan S' presented by Kia in January? Well, now the Korean automaker has published an update on the same, the company has introduced the first sketch of the EV scheduled for a 2021 launch.

In line with its sister brand Hyundai that in December 2019, announced 'Strategy 2025', Kia in January came up with the 'Plan S'. Under the said Plan S, the company promised eleven EVs by 2025 and stated that by then, electric/environmentally friendly vehicle sales would account for 25 percent of the total volume. The first EV from the lot will be delivered next year and is expected to the production version of the Imagine concept.

Now, eight months after the formulation of Plan S, Kia's goal has not watered down as the automaker is still talking about seven BEVs by 2027. In other words, the eleven EVs mentioned in January included current series models like the e-Niro, e-Soul, and China-limited K3 EV.

Kia has made a concrete sales target as well - by the year 2025, the automaker is targeting its EV to share 20 percent of its total sales.

The first Kia BEV is set to arrive in 2021 and is believed to be developed under the code name 'CV'. However, the automaker has not provided much information about the model, confirmed that it "will offer the same competitive product quality and eye-catching design as Kia's other vehicles, with high-performance driving and recharging characteristics."

We are not sure about the CV's body style, but it would surely be one of the seven cars seen in the not-so-clear sketch. Most of the vehicles illustrated in the illustration appear to be SUVs, making it the most likely candidate. Other vehicle body-types that we can make out in the sketch include a sedan and what seems like a hatchback.

Kia is preparing itself for the EV segment by working on sales practices, after-sales services, and charging infrastructure. Here is a glimpse of the prep work -

• Kia is considering the creation of rental and leasing programs for batteries, and subscription services
• By 2023, around 2,000 employees are expected to be working on electric mobility
• It aims to increase the number of dedicated EV work bays to 1,200 by 2023
  in Korea
• In South Korea, 1,500 charging stations will be deployed at Kia branches and dealerships
• In Europe and North America, 2400 and 500 charging stations will be installed

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