Record quarter for Kia in Europe EV sales

A record 2020 first quarter for electrified vehicle sales is reported by Kia Motors Europe.

EV sales grew 20.8% despite a decline in total vehicle sales as a result of COVID-19 disruption, described by Kia as “challenging”.

Electrified models now account for almost a fifth of all Kia sales in Europe.

Kia also captured its highest-ever share of the European market during the first quarter, growing it to 3.7%.

Total Q1 sales declined by 14.5% compared to Kia’s best-ever sales in Q1 2019.

Kia sells the e-Niro crossover and the Soul EV urban car which won the Urban Car of the Year title at the 2020 World Car awards.

While the e-Niro is available in New Zealand, Kia caused a storm in Australia when it announced the Australian federal government’s lack of vehicle carbon emission reduction guidelines and EV policies meant it wouldn’t be introducing the e-Niro and Soul EV to Australia for some time.

Meanwhile, sales of new electrified Kia models – hybrid, plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles – grew by 20.8%, to 21,340 units.

“The first three months of 2020 have been challenging for the whole industry due to social distancing and lockdown measures adopted across many European markets,” Kia Motors Europe chief operating officer Emilio Herrera says.

“However, we have seen growing sales for Kia’s range of hybrid and electric cars – every electrified model line we sell in Europe has seen sales growth this quarter. The arrival of new plug-in hybrid models, improved availability of EVs, and an expanded Ceed model family has also boosted our sales and market share this quarter.”

Electrified models now account for almost a fifth of all new Kia sales in Europe (18.9% of all Kia Europe sales during the first quarter of 2020), up from 13.4% of Kia sales during the first three months of 2019, the company says.

“In the first quarter of 2020, Kia’s battery electric vehicles, the e-Niro and e-Soul, accounted for 32% of all electrified vehicle sales, up from 22% in 2019. Plug-in hybrid (PHEV) models, including new PHEV variants of the XCeed and Ceed Sportswagon, also grew in popularity, and now account for 30% of all electrified Kia sales.”

The South Korean auto manufacturer intends releasing two new electrified cars in 2021 and to have a total 10 EV models within two years.

European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) data shows Kia’s total European sales declined slightly to 113,026 units in the first quarter of 2020. This represents a fall of around -14.5% compared to the first quarter of 2019, when the brand recorded its best-ever quarterly sales in Europe (132,174 units).