Kia’s EV push is paying off with a full lineup from entry-level electric SUVs to vans
Get the Energy newsletter
Daily energy & climate — solar, EVs, oil, the policy fights and tech bets shaping the transition. Free.
- Kia sold over 1.63 million vehicles in H1 2026, its best first-half result since 1962, posting year-over-year global sales growth for four consecutive months on what the company called "region-specific electrified vehicle strategies."
- Kia's EV lineup now runs from the low-cost EV2 through the EV9 three-row SUV plus the PV5 electric van, with fully electric models making up roughly 30% of UK registrations (18,241 units) in the first half.
- Kia is one of seven brands with EVs that qualify for the UK's maximum £3,750 ($5,000) Government Electric Car Grant on the EV2, EV3, EV4, and PV5 Passenger, bringing the EV2 long-range's on-road price to £24,245 ($32,500).
- Kia will not sell the EV2 in the US; the EV3 is set to arrive by the end of 2026 in five trims with 58.3 kWh or 81.4 kWh battery options delivering an estimated 220 to 320 miles of range, with an expected starting price near $35,000.
- Kia sold 7,035 EV9 models in the US through June, up 42% year-over-year, while EV6 sales fell 31% to 4,043 units as the company prepares to drop the Niro EV from its US lineup and replace it with the EV3 in 2027.
Why it matters: The EV3's $35,000 price and 320-mile range position Kia in the affordable US EV segment, while a 42% US sales jump for the three-row EV9 (to 7,035 units) shows family buyers embracing the brand even as the smaller EV6 slid 31%. Dropping the Niro EV for the EV3 by 2027 signals Kia's bet that lineup breadth beats premium pricing.
Ask SkimNews
