Among the pioneers of the electric car, Kia does not forget the hybrid for its future models

It was in Seoul, Korea (South), where Kia held its main meeting for investors, Investor Day 2024, at the beginning of April. An opportunity for the manufacturer to define its strategic plan for the coming years. In this case, until 2028. In fact, if you look at the report of this general meeting, many of the statistics are surprisingly similar to those already published a year ago exactly at the same event. Especially when it comes to electricity. However, there is one word in particular that caught our attention, which did not appear at all in his map last year, and which seems to take on great importance here. The word is “hybrid.” Because if at the beginning of 2023 Kia seemed to focus on electric cars, a year later, hybrids and plug-in hybrids are accepted.. And the frequency that will include more and more.

The return to hybrid grace

Looking at the 2023 and 2024 reports, the goals are the same. At least on electricity. Kia aims to sell 1.6 million battery-powered cars by 2030, still with the same strategy of increasing its range to 15 “zero emission” models. (in exhaust). Starting with EV3 from this year 2024, then EV2, EV4 and EV5. By 2026, there will be six new electric models.

But now that electric is marking the time in many markets, it seems that Kia has chosen to change its offerings more than expected, and continue to offer fuel, but electrified, either “full hybrid” or plug-in hybrid.. So much so that due to the lack of mention of such plans a year ago, we moved with the desire to expand the range from the current six types of hybrids, to nine by 2028. And Kia notes that hybrid options will be offered to “more than the main models of the brand. “.

Markets that evolve differently

Kia does not hide the fact that for him, it is a way to respond in a “quick” way to the changes occurring in the market, and growth in demand for electric vehicles rather than short-term fluctuations due to reduced or eliminated subsidies, or prices that are still too high for customers. Kia also anticipates increased demand for hybrid vehicles by planning to sell 20% of them in 2030, compared to 14% currently. As for electrics, the Korean manufacturer plans to go from 10% currently to 38% in 2030, driven largely by European customers who will buy 79% of electrics in 2030 (12% hybrids).

On the other hand, we can clearly see that in other markets, the electricity estimate is very low, as in the USA which should increase from 10 to 40% of electricity sales by 2030, but from 12 to 35% for hybrids.. This is proof that all over the world, not all markets are moving at the same pace, and that customer needs are very different.