- EV2 will be practical and available and open EVs for a wider audience
- Set to cost € 30,000 (approximately $ 31,400/AU $ 49,400) It will be KIAS EV value EV
- KIAS PV5 Electric Van arrives later in the year
Although it was not as bombastic as its initial EV -Day in 2023, when KIA mapped its plans to speed up its EV offering with the unveiling of EV2 to EV5, its latest showcase confirmed its commitment to electrification … and revealed more about its progress.
On stage was the production-ready KIA EV4, both in Saloon (or Sedan) and Hatchback Guise, as well as an EV2 show car that gives us our closest look at what the smallest and most affordable Kia Ev will look like.
It boasts chunky crossover exterior styling and an equally funky interior, it measures about the same size as the upcoming Renault 4 E Tech and the current Mini -Aceman, with sales expected to start in South Korea and Europe next year.
Whether the EV2 path to the United States still needs to be confirmed, although the compact B-segment Crossover is not very popular state side, and Kia revealed that its most affordable EV will be produced in Slovakia, making it very unlikely.
When he talked about the interior, Kia’s design explained Karim Habib that his team played on a “picnic in the city” theme where owners can slide either the front seats completely back and extend, or push them forward and fold up the rear seats to take advantage of the vehicle’s completely flat floor.
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These rear seats also slide backwards, almost into the trunk or trunk, while the seat cushions tilt upwards to create a Kavernous chill-out zone inside.
That said, Habib revealed that while he fought for the flip seats on the back to appear in the production vehicle, having the front two seats on such a long sliding rail would probably not be seen on the finished product.
Similarly, the neat ‘suicide doors’, which are hinged on A and C columns to create a massive aperture when opened, nor is it for production, with Habib, who says they are “too heavy and too expensive” at the moment, but that he hoped Kia would introduce them to a future model soon.
In addition, the concept showed a projector system that can radiate messages to a dedicated area on the windows.
EV2 is built on the same E-GMP platform as the rest of KIA’s line-up, and will contain the same 400V electric architecture as the slightly larger EV3, which means a charge time of 10-80% of approx. 30 minutes.
However, it will be among the first KIA products to introduce a new lithium-ion-phosphate (LFP) battery pack when it arrives next year.
The detailed details of the exact battery area must be revealed at a later date, but it is likely to be saved the same 43.3 kW and 51.5 kW variants as those confirmed by KIA’s PBV Van-Line-Up.
Kia is betting big on that #vanliv
While we are still waiting for news of a potential EV1, tilted to be the smallest and cheapest of KIA’s full electric vehicle set-up, as well as an EV7 and EV8 to connect the remaining holes, the Korean Marque has confirmed that it is at its full speed in the world of electrified cars derived vans or CDVs to Coin One of Marques many canvas.
Mostly aimed at European, Canadian and Korean domestic commercial vehicle markets, where shipping, crew and chassis -driver houses will be available later in the year, the platform is designed to be as modular as possible.
This means that it can be set as anything from wheelchair available vehicle to a freezer box.
Even better, PV5 is also designed for private customers who want plenty of load space, with a passenger variant with three-row seating up to seven, as well as the ability to easily drop seats for voluminous lifestyle gur.
KIA confirmed that a “light motorhome” variant of this model will also be available at the launch with a more serious Camper Van conversion in the pipeline. Expect it to come with collapsible beds, kitchens and other facilities.
Not those who need to go easy when they enter a new market, KIA has also created a number of accessories for ‘Add Gear’ that include cup holders, coat hooks, trash and cool boxes, all of which either squeeze into place or slide on dedicated rails in the cabin.
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This allows potential buyers to immediately adjust the interior of their PV5 to suit their needs.
Interestingly, the Infotainment system found in KIA’s passenger cars has been ditched for an Android car-based system, as the company says, helps open the opportunity to host third-party applications, such as Samsung’s IoT Pro, which will help small businesses and naval managers work more efficiently on the move.
It is still unclear how this will work in the passenger versions, but it can open the possibility of more Android Automotive integration in future KIA cars, increasing the number of available entertainment apps available for free download.
With an electric range of up to 250 miles, 30-minute quick charging and a huge competitive starting price of € 35,000 (about $ 36,600 / AU $ 58.00), KIA hopes it can have an impact in the commercial vehicle sector.
