Bright Future for Funky Korean Brand
Kia recently held its 2023 Investor Day session, prompting much conversation about where this vibrant South Korean company is heading. Much anticipation surrounded the event, with people eager to hear what predictions and plans Kia had in store.
Kia is receiving a kick from the US government as it plans to manufacture up to five EVs in the USA due to an Act that decreases inflation. This isn’t unexpected, since there are merely 10 cars set to qualify for a $7,500 federal tax rebate by 2024. It’s practically like the authorities are telling automakers that if they want to acquire a meaningful return, they must pump billions of dollars into the American economy first.
Kia was quite enthusiastic regarding the IRA before it arrived, but then confirmed that EV production would be launched in a US factory with an estimated cost of 5.5 billion dollars in 2025. This was in line with what Ho-Sung Song, Kia’s CEO, proclaimed during their most recent Investor Conference.
To stay ahead of Tesla and Ford, Kia intends to hasten the transition to Generation 4 and 5 battery tech. Already providing their EV9 with revolutionary Gen4 cells, this could explain its exceptional range.
Kia declared that they are shifting the growth of solid-state batteries in-house. This could be an indication that their up-coming generation 5 battery engineering will possibly incorporate solid-state, aiding them to reach their ambitious 2030 goals.
At the commencement of the next decade, Kia is aspiring to raise the energy concentration of its batteries by 50%. Furthermore, they are wishing to reduce costs by 40%. These are two of the principal advantages resulting from the usage of solid-state technology. The batteries will not only be smaller and more economical to fabricate, but also boast a greater amount of energy density as well as lowered weight.
Delighted EV admirers everywhere will be pleased to learn that Kia is trying to build a image of sportiness for its electric cars. Song discussed the EV6 GT and the EV9 GT as demonstrations of what they’re aiming for. He additionally mentioned that many of the new models would have a GT version, in an effort to help attain their mission to become an emblem of sportiness. We’d enjoy a Carnival EV with 700 horsepower under the hood! Admittedly you may be surrounded by youngsters in the back throwing up, but when piloting solo you’ll have a blast!
There has been much speculation surrounding the EV9 GT, and Song has confirmed that it will be equipped with a dual-motor “high-output” all-wheel-drive system. If Kia opts to use its most powerful electric motor on both axles, this could result in an output of around 700 horsepower. This would make the EV9 GT one of the most powerful electric vehicles on the market.
On the technological side, Level 3 autonomous driving should become accessible through remote updates by 2024 and 2025. If Level 3 gets to the U.S. in the coming year, Kia can be counted among the first to bring in the following stage of self-driving domestically.
