Kia UK has reached the 50,000 EV sales milestone in July 2023, after another record-breaking month that saw the brand finish as the UK’s fourth best-selling brand.
Kia sold 9,624 units in July across all models – Kia’s best July on record – including 1,555 fully electric vehicles, which pushed the grand total of Kia EVs sold in the UK to 50,614. The 50,000th Kia EV sold was a rear-wheel drive EV6 ‘GT-Line S’ in Runway Red, registered on 27 July at Allen Kia Bath.
Contributing to the milestone, the Niro EV was the sixth best-selling EV in the month with 872 sales and 5,929 units sold this year, followed by the multi award-winning EV6 that has sold 4,539 year-to-date.
In total Kia has sold 10,698 EVs this year, which is more than a fifth of Kia’s total EV sales since they began in 2015. The brand’s EV sales grew to 16,368 in 2022, a healthy increase over 2021’s 14,337 result and a clear sign of the ever-increasing popularity of Kia’s multi award-winning fully electric range. 2023 is on-target to be Kia’s best-ever EV sales year, with the brand’s fully-electric range currently consisting of the EV9, EV6, Niro EV and Soul EV.
Paul Philpott, President and CEO of Kia UK Limited, 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. Our sales success to date is testament to our pioneering EV products and launch strategy, which started eight years ago with the Soul EV and is currently fronted by the award winning EV6 and highly anticipated EV9. With such a varied range currently and bright looking future, we’re proud to be able to support the UK public make the transition to electric, in collaboration with our nationwide dealer partners.”
Not only performing in EV sales, nearly one in every two Kia cars sold is an electrified model (hybrid, plug-in hybrid or electric). This year, Kia has sold 29,222 eco cars – a record performance – making Kia the third best-selling brand for eco models year-to-date, with nine per cent growth over last year.
Kia’s EV History
Kia’s first production EV was the Soul EV that went on sale in the UK in April 2015, after it was first shown in Europe at the Geneva Motor Show in 2014. The first-generation Soul EV was based on the second-generation Soul and offered a range of 132 miles (NEDC) from its 27kWh battery. This was later increased to 30kWh in 2017. 2018 saw the first reveal of the second-generation Soul EV in Los Angeles and the general introduction of the e-Niro – Kia’s second globally-sold electric vehicle.
The e-Niro was offered with a 64kWh battery offering 282 miles range from a single charge (WLTP combined). The e-Niro was the fully-electric version of the popular Niro model, which was introduced with electrified powertrains as standard – hybrid and plug-in hybrid. This pivotal model was the first ever fully electric winner of the What Car? Car of the Year in 2019.
Following the launches of both the e-Niro and second-generation Soul EV, 2020 was a bumper year for Kia’s EV sales that amounted to 7,426 fully-electric cars sold.
In 2021 Kia launched the EV6, ushering in a new ‘opposites united’ design direction and the latest technology. The electric car is based on the Electric-Global Modular Platform (E-GMP), ensuring a spacious and optimally designed vehicle with 800V charging capabilities, previously only seen in premium-priced EVs. Its technology enables a headline charging time of 18 minutes from 10-80 per cent at the fastest chargers. The EV6 also gained award fame by not only winning What Car? Car of the Year in 2022, but also European Car of the Year the same year.
This year the Kia EV9 seven-seat electric SUV went on sale, which is also based on the E-GMP architecture. Equipped with a 99.8kWh battery, each EV9 model is capable of more than 300 miles per charge. The EV9 benefits from the same 800V charging capabilities as the smaller EV6, meaning 10-80 per cent can be achieved in 24 minutes at the fastest chargers.
Kia plans to launch 15 EVs globally by 2027, nine in the UK, as part of its ‘Plan S’ business strategy.
