Kia EV1 “definitely” in company’s electric-car plan

Kia’s rapidly-expanding electric car line-up will “definitely” include a city-car sized EV1 according to global CEO Song Ho-Sung – and a concept could be revealed in as little as 12 months, Auto Express can reveal. 

Speaking from the brand’s annual EV Day, which took place in Barcelona this week, Ho-Sung acknowledged that Kia needed a “lower size, lower price model” to sit under the EV2 small SUV due next year. The car would be an obvious rival to Volkswagen’s upcoming ID.1 (dubbed EVERY.1), and its sister cars from Skoda and Cupra.

When asked if such a model was in the pipeline, Ho-Sung said: “Yes, definitely. We need a lower size, or lower price model. We are internally studying what will be our entry EV model apart from EV2. Maybe on the next EV Day we will show you what we have planned.”

While a date for Kia’s next EV Day hasn’t been set, the time between its inaugural show in 2023 and this week’s event was roughly 16 months – although we understand the second showing was originally in the calendar for late last year before being postponed. We could therefore see an EV1 concept revealed as soon as spring 2026, before the car is unveiled in full 12 months later.

Given how little we know about the production-ready EV2 at this stage, it’s difficult to pin down specifics on what battery or motor configurations we might see in the EV1. However, both models are expected to use a version of the E-GMP platform found underneath the recently-launched EV3, using that car’s 400-volt electrical architecture and front-mounted e-motors.

An unashamed focus on urban mobility will put less focus on outright range, with the EV1 likely to target strong efficiency instead. Assuming a battery size of around 40kWh, a range of 160-180 miles would be easily within reach; 100kW charging would comfortably beat the current small-car crop, while a 150kW peak (as per the EV3) could slash 10 to 80 per cent top-up times to less than 20 minutes.

Ho-Sung wouldn’t reveal a starting price for EV1, but insisted that “for EV2 [Kia is] targeting 30,000 Euros”. At current exchange rates, that works out at roughly £25,000, meaning to undercut its SUV sibling, the EV1 would need to come in at nearer £20k – and within spitting distance of those Volkswagen Group city cars.

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