Kia increased the number of pickup trucks in its lineup from zero to one with the announcement of its plucky Kia Tasman in 2024. Despite its polarizing design, Kia considers the truck a success and is celebrating by releasing a second pickup truck: an electric vehicle that, unlike the Tasman, is coming to North America.
“In North America, Kia plans to introduce an EV pickup truck based on a new EV platform designed for both urban and outdoor use,” the company said in a statement this week. “The vehicle will feature best-in-class interior and cargo space, a robust towing system, off-road capabilities and advanced infotainment and safety features.”
Outside of the announcement, details are fairly slim, but some conclusions can be drawn from Kia’s statements. The inclusion of off-road capabilities will set the upcoming EV apart from the Hyundai Santa Fe, which is currently the only pickup truck Kia or its sister company sells in the US right now.
It’ll be on a new EV platform, so it’ll also be set apart from the company’s existing EV offerings, like the Kia EV6. The infotainment will likely be similar to current model Kia EVs and vehicles, like the dual-display technology in the more recent Kia Sportage SUVs.
Kia is expecting to sell roughly 90,000 of these new EV pickups per year, a lofty goal in a market where the Ford F-150 Lightning is barely hitting 30,000 units sold.
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