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The gloom and doom plaguing the electric-vehicle sector doesn’t seem to have reached Kia Motors, as the Korean auto maker posted significant gains in sales of its fully electrified models in the U.S.
As declining sales in the segment overall prompted hand-wringing in company boardrooms over pending investments in battery and auto production plants, Kia’s EV6 hatchback and newly introduced EV9 full-size SUV propelled an 88 percent rise in the brand’s EV sales, helping drive its second strongest quarter ever in the U.S.
Sales of the Korea-made EV6 grew about 15 percent during the first quarter, while the newly introduced EV9, soon to be made in Georgia, saw sales grow to 4,007 from zero, nearly outpacing the smaller model in its first full quarter on the market.
Still, the sale of just over 8,000 fully electric models accounted for less than 5 percent of the company’s overall 179,621 deliveries, a smaller proportion than the EV market share in the U.S. overall.
Most Kia models, particularly its sedans, saw sales decline, while its utility lineup featuring the Seltos and the Georgia-made Sorento, Sportage and Telluride — continued to post increases, making up 79 percent of sales overall. One exception was the Forte, a midsize sedan that posted sales growth of about 10 percent to 33,623, making it the second best-selling model for Kia in the United States. That could bode well for the introduction of the smaller K4 fastback four-door later this year.
In Georgia, Kia is spending $200 million to add a line to produce the EV9 at its West Point plant, and its models will be among the EVs produced at Hyundai Motor’s Bryan County Meta Plant when production begins later this year.
In response to changing market conditions, Hyundai Motors U.S. CEO Jose Muñoz recently said the company is open to producing hybrids at the new plant rather than solely electric vehicles as originally planned.