Ever the tease, Tesla CEO Elon Musk has been letting word slip that a downsized, affordable Tesla EV is finally in the works. That may be so, but Korean automaker Kia has already pushed itself beyond the talking-it-up phase. The automaker has just begun producing its new EV2 compact EV in Slovakia, and it has also developed an elaborate marketing campaign to attract first-time buyers all across Europe. Game on, Elon… The Marketing Firepower Behind The New Kia EV2 Kia officially launched the new EV2 in January, in concert with its new “Power of Firsts” marketing theme. “Revealed under the theme ‘The Power of Firsts‘, the Kia EV2 introduces Kia’s vision for a new entry point to electric mobility — compact in size, yet delivering a space-rich, emotionally engaging experience designed around everyday urban life,” Kia enthused. In an update on the campaign on April 10, Kia Europe’s Marketing Director David Hilbert also drew attention to the “Power of Firsts” theme, describing the EV2 as an “enabler of experiences.” “Whether it is a first independent drive, a first creative step, or a first shared adventure, these moments often mark key transitions into new life chapters,” Kia elaborates, calling to mind the happy-hippy marketing behind Volkswagen’s Beetle, or the feelings evoked by a starter home or, for that matter, any kind of first experience. “The EV2 represents a significant step in broadening access to electric mobility within Kia’s line-up,” Hilbert explained in a press statement. “The campaign positions the EV2 as a companion to meaningful first moments and demonstrates Kia’s ambition to connect with customers in an authentic, meaningful way that reflects how they live today.” If This Doesn’t Convince You To Buy A Compact EV … The new campaign comes under the wing of the Berlin offices of the global firm Innocean, which leads marketing for Kia’s parent company Hyundai Motor Group. Innocean Berlin’s CCO Gabriel Mattar has pulled out all the stops. “A campaign of this nature is, coincidentally, a first for Kia,” Mattar explains. “It evolves over time, going from a traditional film to a social second chapter. A testimony of Kia’s constant search for innovation and inspiration in everything they do.” The gist of it is a story-telling format that, according to Kia, seeks to avoid “age-based or life-staged” stereotypes. “The first phase of the campaign includes a hero film for television, cinema, and digital platforms, supported by dedicated product films, print executions, digital assets, and tailored social-first content for platforms such as Instagram and TikTok,” Kia elaborates. That’s just for starters. The campaign will build over the summer, when the cost of gas will remain sky-high regardless of the outcome of Trump’s war in Iran. The summer phase will consist of a more individualized approach, with an assist from various content creators. “Each will revisit a defining personal ‘first’ with the EV2 integrated into their story,” Kia explains. “Two creators introduced in the main film will continue their involvement. This approach embeds the campaign naturally within social platforms and maintains long-term engagement beyond the initial launch,” the automaker adds. … The Savings On Gas Will That’s all well and good, but one could say that the auto market will revert to the same insistence on fossil fuel mobility when global fuel markets recover from Trump’s war in Iran. One could be wrong. During fuel price spikes of the past, battery range and public EV charging stations limited driver interest in EVs. Both have improved significantly in recent years, and the savings on fuel is in clearly in evidence for electric fleet vehicles as well as passenger cars, too. Still, the up-front cost of an electric vehicle can be prohibitive for some car shoppers — or, maybe not. It depends on what the comparison is. Typically, the electric-to-gas comparison involves similar cars on the luxury scale. With the new campaign, Kia could attract car buyers who are willing to trade a few points off the luxury scale in order to get a zero emission ride at a comparable price to that gasmobile they were eyeballing. Check out Kia’s pitch for the EV2 driver experience: “Inside, the EV2 offers an open, calming cabin inspired by a ‘Picnic Box’ concept, blending logic and emotion through fabric-rich materials and intuitive design. A wraparound dashboard surrounds occupants, enhancing comfort and perceived spaciousness.” “The EV2 features Kia’s latest triple-screen ccNC infotainment system: 12.3-inch driver cluster, 5.3-inch climate control screen, and 12.3-inch central touchscreen display. Ambient lighting and eco-friendly materials reinforce the modern interior atmosphere,” they continue. Meanwhile, Back In The USA Too bad US drivers will miss out on the EV2. However, EV2 is not Kia’s only compact EV offering. At the New York International Auto Show earlier this month, the company has also unveiled EV3, a compact crossover electric SUV aimed straight at the US market. “The Kia EV3 represents a bold step forward in our commitment to making electric mobility accessible to more Americans,” explains Kia America VP of sales operations Eric Watson in a press statement. Watson also emphasized that “the EV3 brings the innovation of our EV lineup into an entry EV SUV tailored for the way U.S. customers live, work, and travel.” It remains to be seen if US drivers take the bait, but affordably priced compact EVs have a golden opportunity to cut through the marketing clutter of gigantic gasmobiles now that US President Donald Trump has single-handedly driven the cost of fuel sky-high. Under other circumstances, Kia and other EV hopefuls would also have to overcome the challenge of a market dominated by hometown hero Tesla, which earned its reputation as a US government handout success story back in 2010, when the US Department of Energy provided the then-fledgling automaker with a $465 million in low-interest loan to develop an electric car that could compete with gasmobiles on cost. Tesla repaid the loan in 2013 and it continues to dominate EV sales in the US. However, the bloom has come off the hometown hero rose, and Tesla will have to scramble to catch up on the affordability pitch. If you have any thoughts about that, drop a note in the comment thread. Photo: Kia is casting a wide net over the European market with its new EV2 compact EV, focusing on the car’s luxury-style comforts alongside an energetic appeal to budget-focused car shoppers of all ages (EV 2 screenshot courtesy of Kia).