Kia: Movement that inspiresWorld’s leading carmaker is turning into a global technology company

"One change always leaves the way open for the establishment of others," said the Italian Renaissance politician and writer Niccolo Machiavelli. These words can surely be related to the dramatic development in the automotive industry. The industry has seen more changes over the last three years than in the previous three decades, particularly with the rise of e-mobility. The rapid innovation and change in automotive is also demonstrated by the seemingly "cosmetic change" in the name of the South Korean car company Kia. "The word 'motors' in the original name of Kia Motors no longer fully describes our entire scope. That's why we have chosen 'Movement That Inspires' as our new slogan, which allows us to encompass mobility from a broader point of view," commented Kia Czech CEO Arnošt Barna, and his quote can also serve as a definition of where the entire industry is heading for the next decades to come.

Green light for e-mobility

Kia is currently investing hundreds of millions of euros in innovative technologies associated mainly with e-mobility. Thanks to this, the company has become one of the best-selling brands in the electric vehicle segment in the European market, and within three years it plans to expand its range in the EU to 11 fully battery electric cars.

"At the same time, the Kia brand within the HMG Group is developing many other areas of business related to mobility. We assume that in 2040, car sales will represent only 50% of our business activities. The other half of the business will be generated mainly by robotics and air mobility," Arnošt Barna points out.

Arnošt Barna, CEO of KIA Czech

A global giant

Right in front of our eyes, the world's leading car manufacturer is thus turning into a global technology company with a scope that goes way beyond automotive. “To be specific, in the robotics segment, we focus on developing automatic robotic arms for manufacturing and support skeletons for mechanics, and we already use these technologies on our selected production lines. In air mobility, our group has focused on developing means of urban and regional transport. We expect these technologies to be deployed by 2030, for example in the US or in the new capital of Indonesia, which is scheduled to be inaugurated this year on Borneo."

Smart cities

Speaking of new cities, the company’s ambitions go in this direction as well. In 2020 already, the HMG group presented the so-called smart city project, that is, a smart, carbon-neutral city of the future. This counts with an above-ground level intended for people and an underground level intended for infrastructure, including roads.

"As part of this vision, the HMG Group plans to take part in the creation of entire urban concepts moving forward, including autonomous mobility, but also architecture, the coexistence of people and nature, or the use of renewable energies. That is why we are already active in the field of transport modeling to streamline logistics, waste recycling or hydrogen technologies," the company CEO informs.

Myths that are not true

Despite the huge step forward in e-mobility, there are still a number of myths, which are often based on prejudice or which started with the first generation of electric vehicles. However, the most common ones, such as short range, slow charging or low power, are no longer true.

The Kia EV9 seven-seater breaks these myths with a power of up to 384 hp, acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in just 5.3 seconds and a maximum speed of up to 200 km/h. The EV9's practicality is also underlined by its long range and fast charging. The car can travel up to 563 kilometers on a single charge, and the 800V architecture of the electrical system with a high-voltage battery with a capacity of almost 100 kWh makes it possible to replenish energy for 239 kilometers in 15 minutes only. It is therefore not surprising that this model won two awards at World Car of the Year 2024. The EV9 won both the World Electric Vehicle and the overall World Car of the Year title.

Written by Kateřina Vaňková

Photo credits: KIA Czech