September 24th 2019
Emilio Herrera, Kia Motor Europe COO, has revealed that they have plans to develop Kia Picanto Electric to cater to the needs of customers looking to get an electric city car. The only hurdle for the automaker is the affordability of the automobile.
Kia is looking for ways to make the electric version cheaper, which is estimated to cost around €20,000. With Picanto selling between €10,000 and €17,000, a jump to €20K is a significant increase, which customers might not be able to digest. The automaker wants to price the Kia Picanto Electric at around €16,000-€17,000. The battery prices are decreasing rapidly, and this price bracket could be possible for the Korean automaker in the near future.
Herrera says, “There’s nothing confirmed yet, but we are really looking at it”. “Sooner or later, we will have to do it.”
Small cars are popular in cities as they are economical and easy to maneuver. In Europe, every 4th passenger car is small. This statistic shows their significance in urban areas. Kia plans to focus on this segment, and Picanto is the right choice going forward.
In the UAE, the Picanto starts from AED 37,900 and goes as high as AED 45,900. Seeing the country’s shift to sustabinability and environment-friendliness, the UAE customers would love to have one more option in the small EV category.
Source: Automotive News