Kia CV will be based on the dedicated E-GMP platform and is based on Plan S strategy; launching next year globally
Kia Motors Corporation announced details of ‘Plan S’, a mid- to long-term strategy, earlier this year. It focusses on future mobility services, electrification, connectivity and autonomy. The Plan S strategy emphasises the South Korean brand’s shift from making internal combustion engined vehicles towards electric vehicles and other related mobility solutions.
By the closure of 2025, Kia plans to sell a full range of eleven battery electric vehicles and achieve 6.6 per cent share in the global EV market excluding China. Besides, it is also looking to attain 25 per cent sales share from its eco-friendly vehicles. The global EV market could gain strength by 2026 and is aiming for five lakh annual EV sales and global sales of one million eco-friendly vehicles.
The two-track Plan S strategy pertains to kia introducing a dedicated electric vehicle next year and by 2025, the brand is investing 25 billion USD. The new EV has been codenamed the CV and it will sit on E-GMP platform – the first model within Hyundai Group to do so. It will be based on the Imagine concept and is expected to get a unique styling identity.
The Kia CV will also boast fast charging capability and can be charged up to 80 per cent in just about twenty minutes. It is said to have a driving range of up to 500 km on a single charge to avert range anxiety. It will be a crossover having abilities of both sedan and SUV. Recently, we brought you the news about a possible zero-emission vehicle from Hyundai based on the 45 EV concept.
Both the Kia CV and Hyundai’s EV will likely have plenty in common. The modular architecture, in particular, enables different battery configurations suiting varying body types. Besides offering a crossover design, we can expect the CV to have large bootspace and a spacious cabin alongside providing autonomous and other futuristic technologies.
The electrified Kia Seltos seems to be in the works as well and it could be heading to India in the near future. Up next, Kia is focussed on introducing the Sonet concept based compact SUV in India sometime later this year.