Kia is building many new electric cars and is confident that they will be popular in the United States.
talk to Automatic news, Eric Watson, vice president of sales and operations at Kia Motors America, said the automaker will release a new EV in the United States each year for the rest of this decade. By 2029, Kia will sell eight EVs in the United States, including the current EV6 and Niro EV. According to Watson, 30 percent of Kia’s sales in the United States will be electric cars by the end of the decade and will reach 50 percent by the early 2030s.
One of the most important new electric cars Kia is making is the EV9. This car was presented as a concept and will enter the market as a three-lane crossover similar in size to Telluride. Watson expects to attract buyers from the full-size SUV segment thanks to the use of a skateboard-style platform and a flat floor.
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“The EV9 allows those who need the size of a car to transport children, go to Kostko and load all the groceries or tow a boat on the big weekend,” Watson said.
Electric vehicles accounted for 6 percent of Kia’s total sales in the United States this year, an average of 5.4 percent in the industry. Watson expects sales to grow rapidly in the coming years as Kia’s range of electric vehicles expands.
“Over the next few years, we will see EV sales to consumers grow twice as fast,” he said. “Over the years, most electric vehicles have been in the small segment of the road, and as we and other automakers move into larger segments, such as larger SUVs and trucks, the expansion of electric vehicles will really happen.”
Watson added that the creation of an improved charging infrastructure will play an important role in the growth of sales of Kia EVs.
“Why do we need to reach 50 percent by the early 2030s and build a charging infrastructure that requires public-private partnerships,” Watson said. “And by 2030, there will be more solutions and opportunities for people living in apartments and apartment buildings or parking on the streets and in cities.”
