Kia to launch 7 next-generation battery electric vehicles by 2027

KIA PLANS to launch as many as seven next-generation battery electric vehicles by 2027, with the first model among them all set to be revealed in the January-March quarter of 2021. Based on Hyundai’s new electric-global modular platform (E-GMP), the maiden next-generation

BEV of Kia will have a crossover-inspired design. It will have a driving range of more than 500km and a high-speed charging time of 20 minutes. The electric vehicle will also be the first global model to bear Kia’s new logo.

Kia’s new BEVs will include PVs, SUVs and MPVs across different segments, with all of them having long-range driving and high-speed charging capabilities. For corporate customers, the automaker is also developing a range of new purpose-built vehicles (PBVs), which will be based on f lex i b le ‘ s k a te - board’ platforms and have modular bodies. Kia said it is targeting a 6.6 per cent share of the global BEV market by 2025 and global annual sales of five lakh BEVs by 2026. Kia will also promote more sustainable production through the usage of clean energy and recyclable materials.

WITH THE new Taycan, Porsche introduced the fourth variant of its first all-electric sports saloon. The new model lines up alongside the Turbo S, Turbo, and 4S, and features rear wheel drive available with two sizes of battery. A single-deck Performance Battery with a gross capacity of 79.2kWh is fitted as standard, while the two-deck Performance Battery Plus is available as an option. Its gross capacity is 93.4kWh, and the range, in accordance with WLTP, is up to 431- 484km respectively. Porsche will announce the price of the new variant at a later stage.