Kia wants to use its electric vehicle to reduce Tata Nexon EV's market share

 Kia wants to use its electric vehicle to reduce Tata Nexon EV's market share

Kia wants to use its electric vehicle to reduce Tata Nexon EV's market share

With a greater range and a pricing point similar to the Nexon EV, the business hopes to sell around 10,000 units annually. Nevertheless, localizing the battery system presents difficulties.

One of the most popular electric vehicles in India is the Nexon EV, which retails for between Rs. 14.74 and Rs. 14.94 lakh (ex-showroom).

Kia has indicated that the pricing of its India-made electric vehicle, which has a 2025 deadline, would be comparable to that of Tata Motors' Nexon EV. Mung Sik Sohan, Chief Sales and Business Officer of Kia India, revealed to reporters at the introduction of the redesigned Sonet that the automobile, which is being redesigned for the Indian market, would cost Rs. There will be more. Range extends beyond Nexon EV.

"This type of EV is exclusive to India and cannot be found anywhere else," Sohan said. "It is very affordable, but I can't disclose the price range," Sohan said. It'll be on par with the Tata Nexon. (EV). More than 10,000 of these mass-market EVs are what we want to sell annually.

One of the most popular electric vehicles in India is the Nexon EV, which retails for between Rs. 14.74 and Rs. 14.94 lakh (ex-showroom). The business has sold more than 50,000 units of this model since its introduction in 2020. Depending on the variation, its range per charge ranges from 325 to 465 kilometers. The total number of electric vehicles sold in India in the first half of 2023 rose to 48,000 units, up 137% year over year, according to Canalys. Nexon EV had a about 20% market share in this.

Regarding the future Kia e-vehicle's range, Sohan said, "I can't say exactly as the car is still under development." However, it will surpass the Nexon in height (EV). He did acknowledge that the corporation has some obstacles in producing a mass-market EV in India that is really reasonably priced.

"We're getting ready to start producing EVs locally at our Anantapur factory in Andhra Pradesh. Localizing the battery system is one of the main obstacles, and we are talking with a local manufacturer about this," Sohn said. He made it clear that since demand for premium e-SUVs in this market is low, the firm does not intend to produce the EV6 or the soon-to-be EV9 in India. Additionally, he said that if the tax is reduced, the corporation is open to the notion of introducing additional electric vehicles.

Sohan also said that the inexpensive electric vehicle would be sent from India to other markets, much as Kia's ICE vehicles, such as the Seltos and Sonet.

Kia intends to roll out charging stations across its network of dealerships in the meantime.

Prior to rolling out EVs on a big scale, we wanted to establish our own infrastructure for charging them. Sohn said, "We want to build 90 kW chargers across our dealership network. We have already implemented 160 kW fast chargers at 16 shops. Additionally, he said that the business is investigating the viability of establishing public charging stations in India.

Automotive connectivity is advancing.

The business anticipates a further growth in the percentage of connected vehicles in its lineup with the launch of additional EVs.

At the moment, about 40% of our portfolio is connected. More of our goods will feature Kia Connect after we release EVs, according to Sohn.