Image: Sebastian SchaalThe British publication Auto Express reported the pricing plans citing Ted Lee, Executive Vice President and Head of Global Operations at Kia. According to the report, Hyundai and Kia are currently working together on an electric vehicle architecture that will form the basis for both companies’ new entry-level electric cars. This is the first concrete news regarding the planned launch year and price since the electric car was announced. Lee told Auto Express that the EV1 will launch in 2028 for around 20,000 euros in mainland Europe and £17,000 in the UK.The vehicle is to be equipped with the brand’s next-generation technology and, as such, would serve as the manufacturer’s first ‘software-defined vehicle’, Lee told the British trade magazine. The EV1 is expected to introduce features such as automated driving on motorways at Kia. Kia already revealed it is developing a new ‘Software Defined Vehicles’ (SDV) architecture for its larger vehicles in April last year. The carmaker is decoupling hardware and software development, enabling shorter development cycles and cost reductions.The South Korean carmaker is certainly not rushing the launch of the EV1. According to Lee, the model has been in development for around two years. And there are another two years to go before the planned launch, so Kia is taking its time rather than racing to launch at the pace of Chinese brands.Auto Express also reports that the EV1 is set to be followed by a sister model from Hyundai that could be launched as the Ioniq 1. The model will reportedly serve as the successor to the recently discontinued petrol-powered Hyundai i10 and is also expected to replace the Inster EV. However, it remains unclear whether Auto Express is citing insider sources or simply speculating here.It is widely believed that the EV1 is set to replace Kia’s entry-level Picanto range, as reported last summer by the British motoring magazine Autocar and has now been reiterated by Auto Express. Although the current third generation of the petrol-powered microcar has been on the market since 2017, the manufacturer has given it a major facelift in 2023.The EV1 will bring Kia’s electric vehicle range to six models. The Korean manufacturer has already firmly established the EV3, EV6 and EV9 electric models, whilst the EV5 and the compact EV2 crossover are brand new to the market.autoexpress.co.uk