Kia hits 50,000 electric vehicle sale milestone

Kia has passed a significant milestone of selling more than 50,000 electric vehicles since its first battery-powered model went on sale in 2015.

The brand sold 9,624 vehicles during July alone – of which 1,555 were fully electric – making it a record-breaking month for the firm. It also helped to push the total number of Kia EVs sold to date to 50,614, with the 50,000th car arriving as a rear-wheel-drive EV6 registered in Bath.

In total Kia has sold 10,698 electric vehicles during 2023 alone, which is more than a fifth of its total EV sales since they kickstarted in 2015. During 2022 Kia sold 16,368 electric vehicles, representing a noticeable increase on 2021’s figure of 14,337 cars.

Currently, Kia has a range of electric vehicles, including the EV6, Niro EV and Soul EV, along with the upcoming EV9.

Paul Philpott, president and CEO of Kia UK, said: “Surpassing 50,000 EV sales in the UK is an important milestone for Kia, as we continue on our journey to having nine EVs by 2027. “

On top of the EV sales milestone, nearly one in every two Kia cars sold currently is an electrified model – hybrid, plug-in hybrid or full electric – and, to date, the firm has sold 29,222 cars of this type so far this year.

Kia kicked off its electric vehicle journey back in 2015 with the Soul EV, which debuted at the Geneva Motor Show in 2014. At its launch, the Soul EV offered a range of 132 miles from its relatively compact 27kWh battery.