Hyundai & Kia Have The EV Bit Between Their Teeth And They Are Not Slowing Down

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The Chicken Littles are nattering endlessly about how the EV Revolution is over, and if you live in the US, you can be excused for thinking that way, given that the failed administration of the current president is doing everything it can think of to hold back the transition to electric vehicles. But outside the US, Hyundai and Kia don’t seem to be paying much attention to what is happening in the US as they ramp up their EV programs in Europe and the UK. Both Hyundai and Kia plan to launch several budget-friendly EVs next year, targeting both developed and emerging markets.

Based on information contained in internal product planning materials for Hyundai Motor Group, Korea Economic Daily recently published a report saying Hyundai and Kia are preparing a new product offensive to counter the slowdown in the auto industry and upcoming tariffs in the US. They will introduce 35 new and refreshed products in 2026, including smaller and cheaper electric cars. Another electric car company which shall remain nameless plans to sail serenely into the future with decontented versions of its two most popular models. One of those strategies will be successful.

Hyundai is working on a small electric hatchback, codenamed “BJ1” in the internal planning documents. The company plans to bring that car to market in August of 2026, possibly as a competitor to the upcoming ID.2 from Volkswagen. In March, Hyundai announced it plans to start manufacturing EVs at the İzmit factory in Turkey in 2026, so perhaps the BJ1 will be manufactured there as well. That factory currently builds the i10, i20, and Bayon, leading Electrive to speculate that an electrified version of the i20 may be planned as well.

Two weeks after the Hyundai announcement, L’argus reported the first electric model the company plans to build at the İzmit plant will take the form of a B-segment hatchback and borrow Kia’s EV2 platform. That supports the theory that the BJ1 will be that model.

The BJ1 will offer customers a choice of either LFP or NMC battery packs that deliver roughly 300 km (185 mi) to 400 km (250 mi) of range in the WLTP testing cycle. Hyundai plans to introduce an Inster-inspired dedicated EV codenamed “HE1i” also in 2026, according to Autocar Professional. That car will be built on the E-GMP (K) platform, with sales beginning in India in the second half of this year. Kia will strengthen its budget EV portfolio next year with two models. The company plans to start manufacturing the Euro-focused EV2 in February 2026 and could begin shipping it to dealerships in the spring. In April, it will unveil the electric variant of the Syros, its India-focused small SUV.

Globally, Kia plans to build a diverse EV range comprising 15 models by 2030. Hyundai has reduced its EV sales projections for 2030 from 1.6 million units to 1.26 million units annually. Hyundai has set more aggressive goals, aiming to expand its EV lineup to 21 models and increase its annual EV sales to two million units by the end of the decade.

Kia Targets The Commercial Market

One market segment that has gone under-represented in the electric vehicle space is the cargo vans that are the backbone of many small businesses, from carpenters and painters to passenger vans that shuttle people from place to place at airports, hospitals, and hotels. At the IAA Transportation Show in September of 2024, Kia presented four concepts of its battery electric PBV commercial vehicles that include the diminutive PV1, the midsize PV5, and the larger PV7.

The KIA PV5 Cargo is now available for pre-order in the UK, and is the first offering from the company’s “Platform Beyond Vehicle” strategy. The PV5 is 4.70 meters (15.5 feet) long, making it very similar in size to the standard-wheelbase Volkswagen ID. Buzz. Both the ID. Buzz and the PV5 are based on a dedicated electric vehicle platform rather than a reworked chassis designed primarily to be powered by an internal combustion engine, as is the case with many of the competition.

The ID. Buzz, however, was originally designed as a passenger vehicle, and so its cargo capacity is limited t0 500 kg (1100 lb). The KIA PBV models do not use the E-GMP of the electric cars, but their own E-GMP.S platform optimized for light commercial vehicles. That gives them the flexibility to accommodate a a wide range of variants, including a passenger version for driving services as well as cargo-hauling, package-delivery, and mobile-workshop models for people in the trades.

In the UK, the Kia PV5 Cargo can be pre-ordered in the ‘Essential’ configuration from £27,645 ($36,708) net with a 51.5 kWh standard range battery. With the Long Range battery, the base price goes up to £30,145 ($40,027). By comparison, the ID. Buzz Cargo lists for £31,380 ($41,667) but comes with a 79 kWh battery, faster charging, and a more powerful motor. For the PV5 Passenger in the basic “Essential” trim, Kia UK is asking £32,995 ($43,800). Prices of the upmarket “Plus” trim have not been announced at this time.

Deliveries of the PV5 Cargo are set to begin in late 2025. Kia UK says that “other PV5 Cargo variants, as well as PV5 Crew and PV5 Chassis Cab, pricing will be revealed later this year.” There is also no information on the market launch or price of the other battery variants. The version mentioned is the medium, 51.5 kWh battery, but the 71.2 kWh long-range battery will also be available at launch. A 43.3 kWh LFP battery especially for delivery services with a defined area of use is to follow later, but only for the PV5 Cargo, not the PV5 Passenger.

The PV5 has a 400-volt system and the DC charging capacity will probably not exceed 150 kW. “When connected to a 150kW charging point, the PV5’s battery (both standard range or long range) can be topped up from 10-to-80% in less than 30 minutes,” the company says. That is in line with the Kia EV3 on the 400-volt passenger car version of the platform, which has a maximum charging capacity of 130 kW with its 81.4 kWh battery.

What is clear from all this news is that Hyundai and Kia are forging ahead with new electric cars. If some lunatic wants to start a trade war, they are prepared to adapt and adjust without deviating from their primary goal of being leaders in the EV revolution. There are some very smart people running things at Hyundai Motor Group, people who don’t let their business model get interrupted when market upheavals take place. The US could benefit from some zero-emissions work vehicles, but it will have to wait until the tariff turmoil settles down — or buy from Rivian. In the meantime, Hyundai Motor Group is following the lead of BYD by selling in markets that actually want its products and ignoring those that don’t. That sounds like smart thinking.