Kia is planning an electric successor to the Picanto, but it's not expected until after 2030. The delay is due to challenges in making small electric vehicles profitable.
Kia's European chief operating officer, Emilio Herrera, stated that the company is working on the project but it will take time. The current Picanto, introduced in 2017, is expected to remain in production for several more years.
Kia is focusing on larger, more profitable electric vehicles in the near term. The company aims to have 14 electric vehicles in its global lineup by 2027.
Challenges for small electric cars include high battery costs and slim profit margins. Other automakers like Volkswagen have also delayed plans for small electric cars due to similar profitability issues.
The potential Kia Picanto electric successor is being considered as an entry-level electric city car to replace the current Picanto.
Kia aims for it to cost less than €20,000 (~A$33,000), but this price point is currently challenging for EV technology. It would be positioned below Kia's planned EV2 model, which is expected to cost under €30,000 (~A$50,000).
Kia is working on gradually reducing EV costs, with the EV3 costing around €35,000 and the upcoming EV2 expected to be below €30,000.
Specific features aren't mentioned, but it would likely be smaller than the EV3, which measures 4310mm long, 1850mm wide, and 1560mm tall. It would need to be significantly more affordable than current EV offerings to compete in the city car segment.
The timeline and feasibility depend on the decreasing costs of EV technology over the next decade.
The future electric Picanto will likely be part of Kia's efforts to electrify its entire European lineup by 2035. This decision reflects broader industry struggles in bringing affordable small electric cars to market.
