- Kia is now manufacturing its EV2 small electric car in Europe, joining the EV4 to be the second fully electric Kia manufactured within Europe.
- Built at its Kia Slovakia plant, this compact electric car is another stepping stone in Kia’s regional electrification strategy.
- Its production follows a modernisation of the plant, bringing new robots and improved automation on production lines.
Kia’s cheap electric car begins European production
Production of the Kia EV2 starts after the manufacturer placed over €200 million into modernisation of the Kia Slovakia plant last year, which included next-generation robotics, along with enhanced production lines and an improved working environment. The facility already produces one electric car, the EV4, whilst also producing ICE-based cars such as the Sportage.
With sales for the Kia EV2 set to begin imminently across Europe, this new model is likely to become the cheapest electric car offered by the brand in the region, with prices predicted to start at around the £25,000 / €30,000 – slotting it below the current Kia EV3 in its lineup. Final pricing is yet to be confirmed, but the manufacturer has already published a number of headline stats for the EV2. Battery range will stand at up to 281 miles, whilst the car will also have vehicle-to-load (V2L) and vehicle-to-grid (V2G) capabilities.
Soohang Chang, President and CEO at Kia Europe, commented:
“The start of production for the EV2 continues to verify our technical capabilities and flexibility in Europe. When the EV4 went into production last August, we demonstrated our ability to produce fully electric models and cars with hybrid and internal combustion powertrains side by side. Now adding the EV2, the output of our Slovakian factory will better support Kia’s electrification strategy in Europe.”
Tomáš Potoček, spokesperson for Kia Slovakia, added:
“We had already set up the processes for local EV manufacturing when preparing for the EV4 production launch. ith our skilled workforce and hundreds of robots backed by advanced manufacturing technologies, the EV2 is rolling off the assembly as we speak.”
