Kia readies subcompact EV1 hatch based on new EV2 SUV hardware. Brand targets one million EV sales globally while boosting hybrid lineup. New platform coming later with 40% bigger batteries, 9% more power. Kia just pulled the covers off its future plans, and while there’s plenty to digest, the real headline act for Europe is a tiny newcomer with big expectations. Enter the upcoming EV1, a compact electric hatch that’s shaping up to be Kia’s most affordable EV yet when it debuts next year. Think of it as the lower, sleeker sibling to the EV2. It’s aimed squarely at Europe’s hotly contested supermini class, going up against the Renault 5, Peugeot e208 and Vauxhall Corsa Electric. Under the skin, the EV1 is expected to share its hardware with the EV2, meaning a 400-volt E GMP platform and two battery options. Entry models should get a 42.2 kWh pack with roughly 200 miles (322 km) of range, while higher trims could use a 61 kWh battery pushing closer to 300 miles (483 km). Power outputs will likely mirror the EV2’s, so expect something in the region of 145 hp (147 PS / 108 kW) on base or mid-spec cars. Kia also says this will be its first car in the segment to be a software-defined vehicle, one where everything from infotainment to vehicle systems is deeply integrated and updateable. Despite the clever tech, prices are likely to start at a little over £20,000 (€23,000), making it a genuine mass market EV. New EV Platform In The Works But the EV1 is just one piece of a much bigger puzzle. Kia wants 14 EVs globally by 2030 and annual electric sales of one million units. That’s part of a broader push to hit 4.13 million total sales and a 4.5 percent global market share. Beyond the EV1, Kia will launch a new electric platform that it says will deliver up to 40 percent bigger batteries with 15 percent greater energy density powering motors that are 9 percent gruntier. An electric SUV to bridge the gap between the EV5 and EV9 is also on the way. Big Hybrid Push But Kia isn’t going all in on EVs just yet, especially not in the US, CEO Ho Sung Song admitting that the rate of global electric adoption had slowed. So hybrids are getting a major boost, with 13 HEV models planned and annual hybrid sales targeted at 1.1 million units. New hybrid versions of key models like the Telluride, Seltos and K4 are coming, as are hybrid and range-extender versions of the midsize body-on-frame truck Kia will debut before 2030. Furthermore, the Korean brand is doubling down on commercial vehicles like the PV5, adding a bigger PV7 in 2027 and PV9 two years later. It’s also pushing robotics, with factory bots and delivery solutions in development. So yes, the EV1 might be small, but it’s leading a very big plan. The new Kia EV2 electric crossover.
