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The Kia EV2, the automaker’s small, affordable electric crossover, has been spotted on the street in camouflage. It’s the first time the model has been seen in the wild, although the EV2 is not currently confirmed for the US.
The timing of the sighting is particularly significant given recent news that Tesla may have canned its plans for a $25,000 mass-market “Model 2” vehicle. Elon Musk reportedly mothballed the affordable EV in favor of going all in on the company’s plans for a fully autonomous robotaxi.
No official price has been set for the Kia EV2, but Electrek says it could be 20 million won, or about $15,000. Other reports have it under $30,000 — which would be considerably more affordable than the current average retail price for an EV at around $52,000.
Many EV manufacturers over the years have promised to build cheap electric cars for the masses, but not many have gone beyond the concept table. Chinese automakers have introduced a number of extremely cheap EVs, like BYD $11,500 Seagull, but none are available in the US thanks to high tariffs.
Volkswagen has said it plans to eventually introduce a $26,000 EV called the ID.2all, and Ford has a skunkworks division currently working on a lineup of cheaper EVs.
Kia and sister automaker Hyundai have introduced several competitively priced EVs using its shared E-GMP platform, including the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and 6 and Kia EV6 and EV9. Kia’s EV6, in particular, has been a hit in the US and stands on its own as a viable alternative to Tesla’s Model 3 and Y.
Kia’s EV9 launched earlier this year and is garnering mass interest from those who need three rows of seating and want to move to electric. Kia is also planning a smaller crossover SUV with the EV3 and an affordable sedan with the EV4 later this year. Meanwhile, the EV5, a smaller version of the EV9, has launched in China.
