Kia is the latest in a long string of announcements made in recent times about automakers transitioning to electric vehicles. After Hyundai revealed its agenda to sell only EVs in Europe by 2035, its sister brand is now promising to discontinue sales of vehicles equipped with internal combustion engines by the middle of the next decade.
In addition, both South Korean marque vow to exclusively offer electric cars in key global markets outside of the Old Continent by 2040. It will take a lot more to reach carbon neutrality than abandoning gasoline and diesel engines as Kia is taking additional steps to avoid harming our already extremely fragile environment.
Case in point, all of the company’s factories outside of its domestic market will begin to use only renewable energy by the end of the decade. The same thing will happen at home in South Korea, but only by 2040. One of Kia’s assembly plants, the facility in Slovakia, is already ahead of the curve by utilizing only green energy. Meanwhile, 2030 will be the year when the entire Kia vehicle fleet will have only zero-emissions cars.
The announcement was made today on the occasion of sharing teaser images of the Concept EV9, which Kia says illustrates the efforts it will take to reach carbon neutrality by 2045 at the latest. The large electric SUV will be unveiled in concept form on November 17 at the Los Angeles Auto Show where Hyundai will also be there to exhibit the SEVEN concept.
Another step taken in the right direction to ultimately achieve zero emissions is collaborating closely with its suppliers to diminish pollution generated during the parts supply stage. Kia is working on a carbon emissions monitoring system it will have operational next year to help suppliers lower their carbon emissions. One method will be to rely more on “green steel,” which refers to the production process involving the use of less fossil fuel.
Source: Kia
