Hyundai and Kia launched their electric car push with the cutting-edge e-GMP platform. Now, they’re gearing up to reveal a slightly lower-tech, lower-cost platform.
Global head of Kia product planning Hyungsik Park told Australia media the upcoming Sportage-sized Kia EV5 won’t ride on the e-GMP platform from the Kia EV6 and EV9, and Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6.
Mr Park instead confirmed it will be built be on a new architecture designed to keep costs down, alongside a new sedan and hatchback. It’s not clear if it’ll be a standalone architecture, or a variation of the recently announced Integrated Modular Architecture.
It will be a lower-voltage (500V) platform, which suggests it won’t be able to hit the same charging speeds (350kW claimed, 230kW in the real world) as cars built on the 800V e-GMP platform.
Kia hasn’t confirmed the full range of vehicles it’ll develop on the new platform, nor what it will be called, but it will be focused on “volume” segments.
Earlier this week, Hyundai offered a peek at the electric car toolkit it’s dubbed IMA. It will underpin 13 vehicles between 2025 and 2030 across the Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis brands.
Hyundai and Kia will each reveal four cars, with Genesis planning five. The platform will support everything from small SUVs to electric pickup trucks.
IMA will offer the choice of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) and nickel manganese cobalt (NCM) batteries.
Kia has previously confirmed it plans to reveal 14 new electric cars between now and 2027.
Given the EV6 and EV9 are built on the e-GMP platform, and the EV5 will ride on the lower-voltage platform aimed at more affordable vehicles, it’s likely models sitting below the EV5 will also feature the 500V architecture.
Previously, Kia has confirmed it’s working on more affordable electric cars to slot into the segments where it’s currently strong.
Autocar reports word from Kia Europe marketing chief David Hilbert that the brand will “have coverage in all major segments”, including passenger cars.
“All the major segments will be covered in some form [by 2027],” he said.
Mr Hilbert specifically mentioned the B-SUV segment in Europe and how it is now the largest segment there. It currently fields the petrol-powered Stonic, but doesn’t have a rival to similarly sized electric SUVs like the Peugeot e-2008 and Jeep Avenger.
Such a model could reportedly wear the EV3 name, and Kia has hinted it could offer everything from an EV1 all the way up to the previously revealed EV9.
In 2021, Kia teased a range of upcoming EVs including a coupe, sedan, and what looked like a light hatchback.
