South Korean carmaker Kia today announced its new brand strategy, which will see the company go beyond vehicle manufacturing to create sustainable mobility solutions for customers. To that effect, the company has decided to launch seven new electric vehicles globally by 2027, in addition to a few other green initiatives. In fact, its first new-gen electric vehicle will arrive in the first quarter of 2021. Moreover, the carmaker, which recently revealed its new logo, has also changed its corporate identity by changing the company name from 'Kia Motors' to 'Kia'. Additionally, it has also revealed a new brand slogan - 'Movement that inspires'.
Also Read: Kia Reveals New Logo; To Announce Global Product Line-up In January
Kia is expanding its business to encompass EVs, mobility solutions and services, purpose-built vehicles, and more. Alongside, the company also wants to promote more sustainable production through the usage of clean energy and recyclable materials. With regards to EVs, its focus is on battery electric vehicles (BEVs), and Kia plans to reinforce its global product line-up with the introduction of seven new dedicated BEVs by 2027. The new EVs will be built on Hyundai Motor Group's new Electric-Global Modular Platform (E-GMP) and will include a range of passenger vehicles, SUVs and MPVs across several segments, each offering long-range driving and high-speed charging capability, courtesy of the new platform.
Kia's first battery electric vehicle, based on the new E-GMP technology, will also be the first global model to bear Kia's new logo
As mentioned before, the first new-gen battery electric vehicle from Kia, based on the new E-GMP technology, will be revealed in the first quarter of 2021. The new BEV will get a crossover-inspired design, offering an electric driving range of over 500 kilometres and a high-speed charging time of under 20 minutes. It will also be the first global model to bear Kia's new logo. In fact, Kia is targeting a 6.6 per cent share in the global BEV market by 2025 and aims to see a global annual sale of 500,000 BEVs by 2026. The vehicle will also employ the company's new design language. More information about the company's new design direction and services will be announced in the coming weeks.
Talking about the transition, Ho Sung Song, President and CEO of Kia Corporation, said, "At Kia, we believe that transportation, mobility, and movement represent a human right. Our vision is to create sustainable mobility solutions for consumers, communities, and societies globally. Today we start putting this vision into action with the launch of our new brand purpose and strategy for the future."
Ho Sung Song, President and CEO of Kia Corporation presenting the brand's new corporate identity
Kia is also developing a range of new Purpose-Built Vehicles (PBVs) based on flexible 'skateboard' platforms, with modular bodies designed to meet the specific mobility needs of a broad range of corporate and fleet customers. Its partnership with Canoo and Arrival will mean Kia PBVs can have different bodies mounted on top of an integrated modular 'skateboard' platform, tailored to users' functional requirements. Kia says demand for PBVs is expected to grow five-fold by 2030 due to rapid and sustained growth in e-commerce and car-sharing services, allowing various applications like - car-sharing vehicles, low-floor logistics vehicles, and delivery vehicles.
Furthermore, Kia is also planning strategic partnerships with global mobility solutions businesses, diversifying mobility services in global strategic regions. The company has already invested in Grab, Southeast Asia's largest ride-hailing service, food delivery and payment solutions company; and in Bengaluru-based ride-hailing and ridesharing service, Ola. Kia is also establishing other mobility services, including WiBLE, a car-sharing joint venture with Repsol, Spain's major energy corporation, in Madrid.
