Kia had its CEO Investor Day presentation at its home base in Seoul, South Korea on Wednesday, unveiling its mid-to-long-term business strategies and financial targets. It has big plans to sell 4.19 million units by 2030, a little over half of which are intended to be hybrids and EVs. Part of that plan is to expand its pickup truck business, with the Tasman becoming available in more global markets and a brand-new, all-electric pickup truck in North America.
Kia Tasman
“In North America, Kia plans to introduce an EV pickup truck based on a new EV platform designed for both urban and outdoor use,” reads Kia’s plan. “The vehicle will feature best-in-class interior and cargo space, a robust towing system, off-road capabilities, and advanced infotainment and safety features.” Kia has a long-term annual sales target of 90,000 units of the new electric truck, which would be close to the North American sales volume of the Chevy Colorado.
The size of the truck is unclear. When Kia says “best-in-class interior and cargo space,” it’s possible the brand is referring to the midsize truck segment or even the compact truck class, counting the Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Cruz. If Kia means its new truck will have the biggest interior of any electric pickup, it would have to be bigger than the Chevy Silverado EV, which seems unlikely.
Kia Tasman
It’s safe to assume that this future EV will be built in the United States to avoid the Chicken Tax and other new tariffs. Hyundai is in the process of expanding its North American production capacity, and its sprawling new Metaplant in Georgia could be the home of the yet-to-be-named electric truck. It’s currently the production site of the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Hyundai Ioniq 9, but the plant plans to add models from the Kia and Genesis brands.
If this is, indeed, an EV in the compact or midsize pickup truck class, it won’t have a direct GM rival when it comes out. For the time being, all of GM’s electric trucks ride on the full-size BT1 platform. We’ve reported on GM’s plans to build electric versions of the Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon in 2022, but the cooling of EV demand appears to have shelved these plans.
Comments
Pass. I’m getting a Tesla Cybertruck instead. Test drove my neighbors CT and it meets the hype.
What’s your 0 – 60 bro
How many more idiots are going to try this???
Kia Colorado EV
Let’s see:
Electric- strike one
It’s a Kia – strike two
Not a fullsize – strike three you’re out
Another EV. Dumber than dumb. It’s toast before it goes on sale.
ohhhh that is ugly, why industries can not do beautiful cars anymore ? and this since long, what happened ? understood they do not wanted me as exterior designer, because better people but the results coming from all. oh my god… it is too ugly everywhere in all products
To my eye it’s better looking than most American brand trucks.
…like the Isuzu “LUV” truck of the 1970’s, there will be Chevrolet version.
Agreed. The easiest way for Kia to bring a truck to market is to re badge the Hyundai Santa Cruz.
“Designed for both urban and outdoor use.” Really?
If it gets decent range (over 300 miles) and doesn’t cost an arm and a leg (30k to 40K) id buy it.
Kia is getting the jump on GM for this type of truck.