Something has changed in the electric car world: Like its sister company Hyundai, the Korean manufacturer Kia 2021 wants to bring an interesting electric car in crossover format to the market that Europe should reach even before the Tesla Model Y. The Auto Express magazine is now reporting on this. But because of its tremendous acceleration, it does not call the still nameless Kia a competitor to Tesla, but to Porsche with its young, fast and expensive Taycan electric car.
New models with 800 volts
Kia had already shown a concept called Imagine at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2019; Like the Hyundai study 45 shown later, which should be available as a series electric car before May 2021 and thus almost certainly before the Tesla Model Y , it was based on the new platform E-GMP. With e-Niro and Kona Electric, Kia and Hyundai already have two presentable electric cars on the market, but they are still based on combustion platforms. The prices are significantly below the Tesla level, but also their technology appeal.
With the new models, which will be followed by others, the second point could change. Among other things, E-GMP uses a voltage of 800 volts, which enables higher charging powers; a dealer specifies 200 kilowatts for the upcoming Hyundai, but 800 volts would still not be exhausted. Nevertheless, the same value can be expected at least for the Kia crossover. According to Auto Express, managers now called “less than 20 minutes” for charging, which usually refers to charging up to 80 percent.
Comparison with Porsche instead of Tesla
According to the report, the range of the Kia crossover should be around 300 miles, which is 480 kilometers and thus less than the best Teslas. For the first time from Kia there is to be an extra-fast GT version, for which an acceleration from 0 to 100 km / h in less than three seconds is aimed. This is actually noticeably less than Tesla currently indicates with 3.7 seconds for the Model Y Performance and with 3.4 seconds for the Model 3 Performance. The Model S Performance is significantly faster , according to Tesla now in 2.5 seconds to 100 km / h.
Nevertheless, Auto Express writes that Kia makes the electric GT a rival of the Porsche Taycan in terms of performance; in fact, there isn’t a single mention of Tesla in the entire article. The reason for the comparison with the German premium brand is that Kia, like Porsche, works with 800 volt technology. And in both cases it comes from a cooperation with the Croatian manufacturer of electric sports cars Rimac, in which Porsche and later Huyndai / Kia have invested.
In this respect, the comparison fits, but in terms of price, there is some air between Taycan and the upcoming Kia GT. The cheapest version of the electric Porsche 4S costs around 105,000 euros, but takes 4.0 seconds to sprint up to 100 km / h. For less than three seconds, you have to take the top model Taycan Turbo S, which despite the Porsche specification of 2.8 seconds keeps up with the Tesla Model S Performance . With a good 185,000 euros without extras, the top Porsche also costs about 80 percent more than the fastest Tesla.
Porsche performance at a Kia price?
In terms of performance, Kia therefore wants to keep up with the two fast electric cars from the USA and Germany. However, the price could be as far below that of the Model S Performance as its price below that of the Top Taycan: In addition, the Kia sports car should cost a maximum of 57,000 euros (a Taycan Turbo S would then be more than three times as expensive). Auto Express’s report doesn’t include any information, but Kia’s European marketing director told the magazine that the brand didn’t see itself as premium and wouldn’t charge premium prices for cutting-edge technology.
In addition, the Kia should be the first car on the new electric car platform of the Korean group, Auto Express writes. It would have to come before the production version of the Hyundai Crossover 45, which, according to current information from a German dealer, should be delivered in April 2021 at the latest.
