After revealing its new logo, Kia Motors has now shared its future business strategy called ‘Plan S’ which is centric on electric mobility. With this, it has also removed 'Motor Corporation' from its official name, and from now onwards it will be called just ‘Kia’. Earlier, the Korean brand has also introduced its new slogan- ‘Movement that inspires’.
Under the ‘Plan-S’ strategy, Kia will focus to become a global EV leader by launching various ranges of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and expanding mobility services for electric & autonomous vehicles, as well as entering the PBV business. Kia has announced to introduce 7 new EVs by 2027. Out of these seven BEVs, the first electric vehicle will debut in the first quarter (Q1) of 2021. It is expected to have a crossover-like design and is likely to deliver a driving range of around 500km on a single charge. Interestingly, it will be the first model to bear Kia’s new logo.
All these EVs will be built on Hyundai Motor Group’s latest Electric-Global Modular Platform (E-GMP). For the people not in know, the E-GMP platform can be used across various segments such as sedans, MPVs, and SUVs. It can also underpin high-performance models. While E-GMP-based EVs will essentially be rear-wheel driven, it also supports a 4WD configuration with minimum loss of efficiency.
These Kia EVs will also offer a fast-charging capability of up to 800V 350kW, which will charge the vehicles 80% in just 18 minutes.
With Plan-S strategy, Kia intends to offer a full line-up of 11 battery-electric vehicles by the end of 2025. With these models, Kia is striving to capture 6.6% of the global battery electric vehicles business worldwide while also attaining a 25% share of its sales for its eco-friendly cars. Kia is aiming for an annual sales target of 5 lakh units by 2026 and global sales of 1 million eco-friendly vehicles (excluding China).
Apart from the BEVs, Kia will also introduce new Purpose-Built Vehicles (PBVs) for corporate customers, which mainly include low-floor logistic vehicles, delivery vehicles, a small individual urban transporter, and a micro-autonomous pod. These PBVs are likely to be based on a cost-effective ‘skateboard’ platform which is designed to accommodate an electric drivetrain that can deliver approximately 500km of range.
Commenting on the plan Kia's CEO Han Wu Park said-
Plan S is a bold and enterprising roadmap for Kia’s future business transition, buttressed by the two pillars of electric vehicles and mobility solutions. Our approach is to put customers first, and Kia will reinvigorate its brand innovation by developing products and services that offer new experiences for customers.
Talking about the Indian market, Kia Motors has 3 models on sale in India: Sonet sub-4m SUV, Seltos compact SUV, and Carnival premium MPV. It will be interesting to see which of these seven EVs will core to our shore. Furthermore, the Indian government is promoting to adopt an electric way of mobility, and CAFE norms (corporate average fuel efficiency) are set to be implemented by next year, which will push carmakers towards electrification of vehicles.