At the Brussels Motor Show, Kia revealed its new trump card for the European market, the EV2 model. It is a small and affordable electric vehicle that the company’s directors presented as their “most compact” electric car to date.
Specifications and performance
The new EV2 will come in two main versions. The standard version (Standard-range) will be equipped with a battery pack with a capacity of 42.2 kWh, which will enable it to have a range of 317 kilometers according to the WLTP. Acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h for this model will be 8.7 seconds. On the other hand, the version with a longer range (Long-range) will have a 61 kWh battery and will offer a range of more than 440 kilometers, with a slightly slower acceleration to 100 km/h in 9.5 seconds.
Design-wise, the EV2 follows Kia’s current direction with a sharp, boxy profile, polished surfaces and signature LED daytime running lights front and rear. It will sit below the EV3 and EV4 models in Kia’s lineup, with the EV4 expected to enter production before the EV2. To keep production costs low, the EV2, like the EV3, will be built on a customized and scaled-down version of Hyundai’s Global Electric Vehicle Modular Platform (E-GMP).
Filling technology and equipment
Using a custom platform means the EV2 will have a 400-volt architecture instead of an 800-volt one that allows for faster charging. Nevertheless, Kia promises that both versions will be able to charge from 10 to 80 percent in 30 minutes on fast chargers, which is only marginally slower than the EV6 and EV9 models which take between 20 and 25 minutes. For the first time for Kia, the EV2 will support both 11 kW and 22 kW AC charging, which is an important feature given the dominance of such charging in Europe. In addition, the EV2 also supports two-way charging, including technologies vehicle-to-load (V2L) i vehicle-to-grid (V2G).
Although the EV2 is positioned as a small and affordable model, it will not lack advanced equipment. Kia will equip its new model with a number of ADAS systems to assist the driver, such as adaptive cruise control and automatic emergency braking. One of the standout features is remote smart parking, which allows owners to park their vehicle from outside using the key.
The start of production of the standard version is planned for February 2026 at the Kia factory in Slovakia, while the version with a longer range and GT performance will follow in June of the same year. The exact price is still unknown, but it is expected to be less than 30,000 euros.
