Kia will launch a mass-market electric SUV, codenamed AY, in India in 2025. It will rival the Tata Nexon EV. Note that the Nexon EV is the most successful EV in India. It, alone, boasts around 70% market share. That is a staggering statistic considering there are so many new players entering the market each year and the growth is rapid. Kia aims to grab some market share away from Tata Motors now that potential customers are opening up to the idea of purchasing EVs. However, cost still remains one of the biggest hurdles. Since Tata Motors converts its ICE cars into EVs, it has been able to offer its products at competitive prices.
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Kia AY Electric SUV
As per various reports online, the Kia AY will bear a tall-boy stance. This will be more in line with rugged SUVs in comparison to the Sonet and Seltos, which are more like urban SUVs/crossovers. In terms of size, it will be closer to the Sonet than Seltos. Still, the aim is to position it somewhere in between the two volume-churners for the Korean carmaker. The facelift model of the Sonet was unveiled yesterday and the Seltos is already fresh. Therefore, Kia aims to generate huge sales from these SUVs alone. But the introduction of a mass-market EV will mark the beginning of the next phase in Kia’s Indian history.
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Higher Range Than Nexon EV
Our sources also tell us that Kia says that the mass market EV will be a much superior range than the Nexon EV. For reference, the Nexon EV, with its bigger battery, offers a range of 465 km on a single charge. Hence, it would be logical to assume that the Kia AY will allow the users a range in the vicinity of 500 km. That would be really attractive for people who have range anxiety and are not taking that step to go for an electric car just yet. The reports also suggest that the AY will also come with an ICE powertrain.
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Author’s Note
The trend of EVs is at an all-time high and is becoming more aggressive with each passing day. The potential customers are becoming more familiar with the idea, the charging infrastructure is being developed extensively, the government is offering enticing incentives to push you to buy EVs and the prices are coming down. All these factors will result in providing a conducive environment for EVs to thrive in India. In fact, the next couple of years will change the entire landscape of the country with many carmakers announcing their EVs including Mahindra and Maruti Suzuki.
