Kia and Genesis electric SUVs officially confirmed for 2021 arrival

Kia, Hyundai, and Genesis have a busy 2021 ahead as all three South Korean brands have announced plans to roll out the first electric vehicles based on the E-GMP platform. We already know Hyundai’s EV will be the Ioniq 5 as a follow-up to the Hyundai Concept 45, but what about the other two? The Hyundai Motor Group has revealed today Kia and Genesis will unveil two electric crossovers later this year.

Although their identities have not been disclosed, the zero-emissions Kia is widely believed to have swoopy styling by taking after the 2019 Futuron concept pictured here. As for the Genesis EV, it’s internally known by the “JW” codename and will adopt the double line lighting motif as with the other recent models from Hyundai’s luxury division.

The Hyundai Motor Group refreshes our memory about the capabilities of the E-GMP platform by saying it will accommodate both 400V and 800V charging. An EV riding on the newly developed architecture will travel beyond 500 kilometers (311 miles) between charges, based on the more realistic WLTP test cycle. It’ll take merely 18 minutes to charge the battery pack to an 80-percent level, with five minutes of charging enabling 100 kilometers (62 miles) of range.

The three EV arrivals earmarked for a 2021 release are part of the Hyundai Motor Group’s greater plan to extend its electric portfolio from eight to 23 models by the middle of the decade. In 2025, the Asian automotive conglomerate hopes to reach one million EV annual sales as a result of the expanded eco-friendly lineup.

Aside from engineering a new platform for the electric onslaught, the company will also ramp up its own charging infrastructure by opening no fewer than 20 fast-charging stations in its domestic market later this year. At the same time, it’ll team up with energy companies to further bolster the charging network, both in South Korean and in global markets.

Source: Kia