7:25 am, August 5, 2023
As carmakers continue to ramp up production of electric vehicles, Kia has reached the significant milestone of selling more than 50,000 EVs.
The South Korean brand built its first battery powered model eight years ago in 2015 and is now one of the leaders in the electric market.
Last month alone it sold an impressive 1,555 fully electric cars, accounting for around 16 per cent of the 9,624 vehicles it shifted overall.
Among that number was its 50,000th EV, which was a rear-wheel-drive EV6 registered in Bath.
On top of the EV sales milestone, nearly one in every two Kia cars sold currently is an electrified model – hybrid, plug-in hybrid or full electric – and, to date, the firm has sold 29,222 cars of this type so far this year.
It comes after new SMMT data revealed that registrations of pure-electric vehicles rose by 87.9 per cent in July, accounting for 16 per cent of all registrations for the month.
Kia kicked off its electric vehicle journey back in 2015 with the Soul EV, which debuted at the Geneva Motor Show in 2014. At its launch, the Soul EV offered a range of 132 miles from its relatively compact 27kWh battery.
Now, close to a decade on, Kia has sold 10,698 electric vehicles during 2023 alone, which is more than a fifth of its total EV sales since they kickstarted in 2015.
During 2022 Kia sold 16,368 electric vehicles, representing a noticeable increase on 2021’s figure of 14,337 cars.
Currently, Kia has a range of electric vehicles, including the EV6, Niro EV and Soul EV, along with the upcoming EV9.
Paul Philpott, president and CEO of Kia UK, said: ‘Surpassing 50,000 EV sales in the UK is an important milestone for Kia, as we continue on our journey to having nine EVs by 2027.’
On top of the EV sales milestone, nearly one in every two Kia cars sold currently is an electrified model – hybrid, plug-in hybrid or full electric – and, to date, the firm has sold 29,222 cars of this type so far this year.
