Kia to go electrified by 2035: South Korean automaker is to stop selling gasoline and diesel engines in Europe. Subscribe to Electric Vehicle News Bitesize Podcast for FREE!
All cars sold in Europe by 2035 will be zero-emission vehicles, Kia said.
It promises to only sell all-electric and hydrogen fuel cell models
Major global markets will follow in 2040, with plans to become carbon neutral by 2045.
Kia will sell electric cars in Europe by 2035, the South Korean brand is confirmed as the latest automaker to ditch the internal combustion engine.
Bosses said Europe would be the first market to stop selling gasoline and diesel cars, and five years later, by 2040, Europe would stop sales in major global markets.
It’s part of the manufacturer’s commitment to becoming fully carbon neutral by 2045.
The news comes after Kia and sister brand Hyundai failed to add their names to the COP26 pledge to eliminate emissions from all new vehicles by 2040.
The two South Korean powerhouses joined some of the world’s biggest carmakers – including Volkswagen, Toyota, Stellantis and BMW – in eschewing the Glasgow Declaration on Zero Emission Cars and Vans.
The agreement, unveiled by the UK on the sidelines of the Climate Summit, requires carmakers, governments, cities, businesses, investors and financial institutions to “endeavour” to achieve completely zero emissions for all new car and van sales in a “leading market” by 2035 and by 2040 globally.
While not joining the pledge, Kia’s statement pledged to fully electrify its vehicle lineup in Europe by 2035 — and to do the same in key global markets by 2040.
For both companies, it’s not just about setting goals and achieving them. It’s about setting a vision that inspires others to join the movement to benefit people and protect the environment.
In line with their vision to be a provider of sustainable mobility solutions, they are committed to becoming carbon neutral by 2045.
The company said it also plans to launch its first hydrogen fuel cell vehicle in 2028, likely using next-generation technology being developed by Hyundai, with some input from Ineos Automotive, which is planning a hydrogen fuel cell Grenadier with a shared powertrain developed in France using British Tax Payers money.
As part of its existing “Plan S” strategy, Kia plans to launch seven new electric vehicles between now and 2027, in addition to a hydrogen-fueled model.
Kia says it aims to be carbon neutral in just over 20 years by reducing carbon emissions from all aspects of its operations, from supply, logistics, vehicle production and vehicle use, to waste disposal.
Its factory in Žilina, Slovakia, has switched to green energy.
The South Korean company wants to reduce the company’s 2019 carbon emissions by 97 percent by 2045.
It will be carbon neutral by implementing additional measures to fully offset its remaining carbon emissions.
The brand also announced that it is partnering with The Ocean Cleanup, a non-profit organization, to use plastic waste collected from river cleanups to produce new cars.
Kia plans to increase the company’s plastic reuse rate to 20 percent by 2030.
Kia was founded on June 9, 1944 as Kyungsung Precision Industry, a manufacturer of steel pipes and bicycle parts, which eventually produced the Samchully, Korea’s first domestic bicycle, in 1951.
In 1952, Kyungsung Precision Industry changed its name to Kia Industries, and later produced Honda-licensed scooters (beginning in 1957) and Mazda-licensed trucks (1962) and cars (1974). The company opened its first integrated car assembly plant, the Sohari Plant, in 1973.
Kia built the small Mazda-based Brisa line of cars until 1981, when production ended after new military dictator Chun Doo-hwan forced industry consolidation. This forced Kia to abandon passenger cars and focus entirely on light trucks.
After the ban went into effect, Kia assembled several hundred more cars in 1982 and 1983, but produced no passenger cars in 1984 and 1985.
Before being forced out of production in 1981, Kia had completed its passenger car lineup with two other foreign models assembled under license: the Fiat 132 and the Peugeot 604.
These knockdown kits are allowed to be imported as long as Kia imports five cars for each Fiat or Peugeot (Hyundai must meet the same requirements)
Beginning in 1986 (when only 26 cars were produced, over 95,000 were produced the following year).
Kia rejoined the automotive industry in partnership with Ford. Kia makes several Mazda-derived vehicles for domestic sales in South Korea and for export to other countries — they’re on the budget end of the market. These include the Mazda 121 and Avella-based Kia Pride, which are sold in North America and Oceania as the Ford Festiva and Ford Aspire.
In 1992, Kia Motors America Corporation was incorporated in the United States.
In 1992, four Portland, Ore., dealerships sold the first Kia-branded vehicle in the United States.
Since then, Kia has methodically expanded one region at a time. The dealer sold the Sephia in 1994, and a few years later the US division expanded their line with Sportage.
By 1995, there were more than 100 Kia dealerships in 30 states, selling a record 24,740 vehicles.
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