Kia’s electric vehicles have proven highly successful globally, and the South Korean automaker wants to keep this strong sales momentum going by launching a slew of new and even more attractive models. After starting production of its flagship electric model, the EV9, the company is now focusing on the smaller end of the range with vehicles like the EV5, EV4, EV3 and EV2.
The smallest of the four, the EV2, isn’t expected to reach the US, but the EV3, which is about the same size as today’s Niro, will probably make it Stateside. Kia has already shown a concept preview of the EV3, but now it has also started teasing the production model expected to be revealed sometime this year. The EV3’s mostly obscured body was shown in a promotional video in its native South Korea with some characters from the Disney animation Inside Out—the vehicle could be featured in the upcoming Inside Out 2, which is due to be released on June 14.
Until the EV3 is officially revealed, we don’t have too many details to go by. We expected its exterior design to stay very close to the compact crossover study that previewed it, and this seems to have been confirmed by the recent teaser where we get to see the production model’s silhouette. The look of the interior will also not stray too far from what we saw in the concept, with a minimalist, almost button-free look that concentrates most functions into the central infotainment display.
All EV-badged Kia models will be built on the same E-GMP dedicated EV platform that Kia shares with Hyundai, but there will be a big difference between the larger and smaller models. The EV6 and EV9 have an 800-volt architecture, but for all the smaller models, Kia will switch to 400 volts because it is a cheaper solution. It will result in lower charging power and marginally less efficiency, but it will also allow the manufacturer to bring these models to market at a lower price.
