Kia Is Building an EV Pickup Truck, and It’s Headed to the U.S.A.

Kia made waves late final 12 months when the model launched its first-ever pick-up, a strange-looking mid-sizer called the Tasman. That new entry is primarily meant to compete with the Ford Ranger in Australia, Korea, and rising markets. Which means, in different phrases, that it is not deliberate to go in direction of American shores.

Because it seems, that does not imply American consumers will miss out on a truck from Kia, nonetheless. Throughout an investor day presentation on Wednesday, the model introduced plans to convey a brand new pickup truck to the U.S. market — and it will be electrical.

Particulars are scarce in the intervening time, however Kia says that the truck will probably be based mostly on a brand new EV platform that’s “designed for each city and outside use.” That might describe nearly any truck in the marketplace as we speak, however these hoping for a Toyota Tacoma-sized electrical truck (not less than, one not from Toyota) have some motive for hope: Model CEO Ho Sung Song said just last week that the model desires to convey a mid-sized entry to America.

Mixed with the information that the Tasman is not going to be headed Stateside, Music’s phrases recommend that the electrical truck will successfully function America’s equal product. The selection to develop a novel car on an electrical platform signifies that growth ought to take barely extra work than a retooling of the prevailing Tasman platform would have required, however the ensuing truck will match squarely with Kia’s plans to be a serious participant in lots of segments of the U.S. EV market going ahead.

Kia claims that the brand new truck will ” characteristic best-in-class inside and cargo house, a sturdy towing system, off-road capabilities, and superior infotainment and security options.” The model is concentrating on annual gross sales of 90,000 items per 12 months. For comparability, Toyota offered 192,813 Tacomas in 2024; on the EV facet, the Ford F-150 Lightning moved 33,510 items.

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