Final 12 months Kia unveiled its first pickup truck, the body-on-frame Tasman, which will not be bought within the U.S. because it was designed for markets like Asia, Australia and the Center East — perhaps for one of the best, as a result of it seems so rattling bizarre. However for a couple of years now we have heard rumors that Kia had been engaged on two pickups, one among which might be a U.S.-bound EV. Check mules constituted of EV9 and Hyundai Santa Cruz components have been spied, giving us an thought of the dimensions. Lastly, at Kia’s CEO Investor Day in Seoul this week, the corporate formally introduced that an electrical pickup designed for North America is coming quickly.
On the investor day executives talked about how Kia plans to develop between now and 2030, when the corporate hopes to have 1.26 million EV gross sales globally (and a couple of.33 million electrified autos, together with hybrids). A part of that development will likely be by way of “assembly various market wants” and getting into new segments with electrical autos, similar to the not too long ago launched PV5 van. Kia needs its proportion of electrified car gross sales to be 70% in North America, and to try this you’ve got actually gotta provide a truck. That is the place this new mannequin is available in.
What kind of truck will or not it’s?
Kia’s press launch says the brand new electrical truck will experience on a brand new EV platform that is “designed for each city and out of doors use,” so it will not simply be the identical E-GMP modular platform that underpins principally all of Hyundai Motor Group’s EVs. I feel that is a great factor — to actually compete within the truck market you’ve got actually obtained to have a devoted platform for it, whether or not you go body-on-frame just like the F-150 Lightning or a contemporary unibody just like the Rivian R1T. Kia’s announcement did not give another specs or particulars past saying it’ll have “best-in-class inside and cargo area, a strong towing system and off-road capabilities.”
On the Seoul Mobility Present final week Kia’s CEO did verify this truck would compete within the midsize phase towards pickups just like the Toyota Tacoma and Ford Ranger, which aligns with the dimensions of the take a look at mule. I am guessing this truck will solely include one mattress and cab configuration, however perhaps Kia will shock me and provide a couple of completely different setups — the Tasman has a bunch of untamed ones, in any case.
Kia did say it is concentrating on “mid-to-long-term annual gross sales” of 90,000 for the U.S.-bound truck, which might be a 7% market share. Absolutely this pickup will likely be constructed within the U.S. to maintain the worth down as a lot as potential and manufacturing and gross sales as straightforward as potential given *waves fingers* all the things happening. What Kia hasn’t mentioned is when the truck is meant to enter manufacturing, however with mules already on the roads, I guess we’ll see a reveal inside the subsequent 12 months or so.
Are different smaller electrical vehicles coming?
