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Kia Niro EV Concept Debuts With Chevy Bolt EV-Rivaling 238-Mile Range

General Motors and Chevrolet have paraded the 2018 Bolt EV around for a year now. The mass-market electric car is available nationwide and sales continue to tick upward. It’s also the longest-range affordable electric car in mass production. We say mass production because the Tesla Model 3 hasn’t reached that stage yet.

But, Kia showed that fresh competition is on the horizon, and it’s coming to directly rival the Bolt EV. Kia revealed the Niro EV crossover concept at the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Tuesday. Powering the battery-electric crossover is a 200-horsepower electric motor with juice from a 64-kilowatt-hour lithium-polymer battery pack. Said battery pack gives the electric crossover a Bolt EV-matching 238 miles of range.

Although it’s a concept, the design will likely transfer over to the production model, which should go on sale late this year. Kia plans for 16 electrified vehicles by 2025. The key word is “electrified,” which does not mean pure battery-electric cars. Some of the vehicles could simply be mild hybrids.

In contrast, GM will roll out 20 all-electric cars by 2023, which marks one of the industry’s most aggressive electric-car plans. In the near term, however, GM will have some competition. In the long term, GM may already be readying something greater than a 238-mile Bolt EV.

Former GM Authority staff writer.

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Comments

  1. competition is good!

    But can the front look any less than a frog?

    Reply
  2. I almost want to say they’re probably using the same battery as the Bolt

    Reply
  3. Imitation is the most sincere form of flattery and admission of a better product. Honda was first with the Clarity imitating the Chevy Volt. Now Kia is following the imitation game of the Chevy Bolt..

    Reply

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