Yesterday we were able to see a KIA presentation event, where it showed both the EV5, as well as the EV3 and EV4. A family with which they seek to democratize their car offering, but where an access proposal was missing. Something that has been confirmed today with an EV2, which will be in charge of fighting in the most economical segments.
Like Hyundai, Kia is also preparing a more affordable electric car. However, this EV2, as it will probably be called, will not be a low-cost model, but rather a proposal that will cost between 25 and 30 thousand euros.
For its production, KIA will not use the E-GMP platform on which its current electric models designed from scratch are based but will use a new base called eK. An electrified version of the K platform of the current urban models of the Hyundai/Kia group, designed mainly for the European market and whose first representatives will leave the KIA factory in Zilina, Slovakia.
At the moment there are no technical details, as expected, but we do know that for its arrival on the market, we will still have to wait a little more than two years since its arrival on the European market will not occur until 2026.
Currently, KIA’s cheapest 100% electric alternative is the Soul. A compact 4.19 meters long that has two versions, one with a 100 kW motor and a 39 kWh battery, which provide a range of 276 km WLTP, and whose price starts at 40,100 euros before aid or promotions.
The second option increases the engine power to 150 kW, the battery capacity to 64 kWh, and the range to reach 452 km WLTP, all in exchange for a price of 46,455 euros.
As we see, the challenge of the EV2 will not be easy, since it will have to achieve a price reduction of at least 25% if we take a price of about 30 thousand euros as a reference. 37% if we do it at 25,000 euros which many rivals will move by then.
Something that will mean reducing the cost of all its components, mainly the batteries, which as we also see, will have to be done in a very short period. Something that would possibly indicate the use of LFP cells for the cheapest version, which seems the shortest path to the economic objective.
