Whereas final yr’s plucky Tasman truck from Kia had a polarizing design, it was nonetheless thought of successful. Now, Kia is celebrating by releasing a second pickup truck: an electrical automobile that, not like the Tasman, will likely be coming to North America.
“Kia plans to introduce an EV pickup truck primarily based on a brand new EV platform designed for each city and out of doors use,” the corporate mentioned in April. “The automobile will characteristic best-in-class inside and cargo area, a strong towing system, off-road capabilities and superior infotainment and security options.”
Particulars proper now are pretty slim however some conclusions may be drawn from Kia’s statements: The inclusion of off-road capabilities will set the upcoming EV aside from the Hyundai Santa Fe, which is at present the one pickup truck Kia or its sister firm sells within the US proper now.
It’s going to be on a brand new EV platform so it’s going to even be set aside from the corporate’s current EV choices, just like the Kia EV6. The infotainment will seemingly be just like present mannequin Kia EVs and autos, just like the dual-display know-how within the more moderen Kia Sportage SUVs.
Kia final week additionally showcased its extra reasonably priced EV sedan, with CNET available to see the 2026 Kia EV4.
Kia electrical pickup truck: Will this EV succeed within the US?
Per the assertion, Kia is anticipating to promote roughly 90,000 of those new EV pickups per yr, a lofty aim in a market the place the Ford F-150 Lightning is barely hitting 30,000 models offered. By most accounts, it is an formidable gross sales aim to hit for a automobile that’ll signify Kia’s first try at appeasing the US truck purchaser market. Nonetheless, there’s nonetheless room for optimism.
“The fashions constructed on the eGMP line offered over 100K models in 2024,” mentioned Liz Najman, director of market insights at Recurrent, an organization that gives unbiased insights on EV efficiency. “Furthermore, just like the EV6, Kia pickups will seemingly be made within the US, serving to keep away from expensive tariffs that can drive up costs for shoppers. It’s seemingly that worth will likely be a significant factor for shoppers within the coming years.”
Najman additionally mentioned that vehicles had been the 2 top-selling autos in 2024, so it is potential that Kia can attain its gross sales objectives, supplied that the automaker can hit that candy spot of aggressive pricing and functionality.
“Electrical autos are seeing robust gross sales numbers once they ship on what clients need,” Najman mentioned, highlighting that in electrical automotive gross sales, the Ford Mustang Mach-E and the Jeep Wrangler PHEV every offered greater than 50,000 models in 2024 and the Mannequin 3 and the Mannequin Y offered greater than 150,000 and 370,000 models, respectively.
