Skip to main content

The Kia EV3 could be the cheap electric SUV we’ve been waiting for

White Kia EV3
Kia

The Kia EV9 was already one of the cheapest ways to get an electric SUV, but now the company is taking things to the next level. After teasing the Kia EV3 last year, the car is now official.

The EV3 is built to be a slightly smaller, cheaper version of the EV9 — following the path of the Rivian R2, which arrived after the Rivian R1S. It’s certainly not as technologically advanced as the EV9, but it still looks unmistakably like a modern Kia, and is clearly a sibling of the larger SUV. On the outside, the vehicle has the same split taillights and very similar Tiger Face front. But it is quite a bit smaller. The vehicle will be available in nine finishes — however only “Aventurine Green” and “Terracotta” are being announced right now.

Back of a white Kia EV3
Kia

The interior is very similar to tghat of the EV9 too. Unlike the three-row EV9, the EV3 has two rows of seating, so you’ll only be able to fit up to five people in it. That, of course, will be perfectly fine for many buyers who don’t have large families or border on needing a minivan-sized vehicle. The interior is designed to be open-feeling, with a large sunroof, and the door and dashboard are covered with a recycled fabric. Upfront, the EV3 has a similar dual display layout to Kia’s other EVs, with an infotainment display and a digital instrument cluster. Kia hasn’t confirmed CarPlay or Android Auto, but given its track-record of including the tech, we’re expecting to see it on the EV3.

Recommended Videos

So what about the actual EV parts of the EV3? According to Kia, the EV3 will be built on the E-GMP platform that has underpinned the EV6 and EV9. There will be two battery sizes at launch — a standard range battery that sits in at 58.3 kilowatt-hours and a long range battery that comes in at 81.4kWh. Kia says that the long range battery will deliver up to 600 kilometers of range, as estimated by the Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP). That equates to 373 miles, which is excellent. However, keep in mind that the WLTP is generally a little more generous with range estimates than the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the U.S., and it’s likely it’ll have an estimated range closer to 300 miles.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

The fastest version of the Kia EV3 (called the Kia EV3 GT-Line) will accelerate from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 7.5 seconds. So, while it’s decidedly less powerful than the EV9, it’s certainly not slow.

Infotainment system of the Kia EV3
Kia

There are still some things we don’t know about the vehicle, like its price. We also don’t know when it will be available in the U.S. — Kia says that it’ll first launch in Korea in July, followed by a European launch in the second half of the year. After that, Kia says it will expand to other markets, so we may not see it in the U.S. until 2025. When we do finally get the vehicle here, however, it could end up being the budget electric SUV to beat.

Christian de Looper
Christian de Looper is a long-time freelance writer who has covered every facet of the consumer tech and electric vehicle…
EV sales surge could continue as Trump delays ending federal rebates, report says
Second-Gen Rivian R1S on a road

A surge in sales of electric vehicles in the final months of last year could continue well into 2025, as consumers continue to take advantage of federal tax incentives while they last, according to a report by the Associated Press.
On the day of his inauguration, President Donald Trump signed an executive order titled “Unleashing American Energy”, which says the government is “considering the elimination of unfair subsidies and other ill-conceived government-imposed market distortions that favor EVs over other technologies.”
During his campaign, Trump’s team said it was planning to end the Biden administration’s $7,500 tax credit on the purchase or lease of an EV, although it did not provide a timeline for doing so.
Americans rushed to take advantage of the incentive, helping fuel a surge of more than 15% in EV sales in the fourth quarter, according to Cox Automotive.
Recent surveys show that incentives have played a major role in fueling EV sales over the past few years, and that a majority of Americans are in favor of government incentives to help with the purchase of an EV.
Meanwhile, the wording in Trump’s executive order, which says his administration is still 'considering' its options, leaves room for ambiguity about the timing of its application.
“Temporarily, sales of EVs could skyrocket as car-buyers rush to take advantage of existing tax credits,” the report by the Associated Press says.
In order to repeal the EV tax credit, the Trump administration will need to obtain the approval of congress. The process will likely take place as part of broader negotiations on extending Trump’s first-term tax cuts, which are due to expire near the end of 2025.
It’s also not entirely clear if the Trump administration will seek to end the whole of the $7,500 EV tax incentive. In order to obtain the incentive for the purchase of an EV, restrictions apply for high-income households and for EVs with non-U.S. made batteries. But those restrictions don’t apply to leasing an EV.
According to Cox Automotive, members of the Trump administration are particularly keen on ending “this leasing loophole, which was created partly to appease Korean and Japanese automakers, who have invested billions in U.S. EV manufacturing.”
Ending rebates and other subsidies for EVs is also likely to meet challenges, be they legal or political, from different actors.
The Zero Emission Transportation Association (ZETA), a trade group whose members include the likes of Tesla, Waymo, Rivian, and Uber, has come out in support of incentives for both the production and the sale of EVs.
ZETA says the incentives for both EV and battery-makers have led to enormous investments and job gains in Republican-dominated states like Ohio, Kentucky, Michigan, and Georgia.

Read more
Tesla Model Y Juniper vs Rivian R1S: Can Tesla’s newest take out a much more expensive vehicle?
Tesla Model Y 2025.

Tesla and Rivian actually have a lot in common. Both are relatively new companies in the grand scheme of things, at least compared to the legacy automakers that are now switching to EVs, but their actual vehicles are pretty different. The Tesla Model Y is the most popular electric vehicle in America, serving as a high-tech crossover for those interested in buying a Tesla. The Rivian R1S is Rivian's electric SUV, obviously boasting a larger body, but also putting tech first.

On top of the Tesla Model Y being the most popular EV right now, it's also in the midst of getting a major refresh in the form of the Model Y Juniper. We're still early on in the rollout of that refresh, though. While Tesla has released the Model Y Juniper in its base form in China, the version of the vehicle being sold in the US right now is the so-called Launch Edition New Model Y, which is a high-performance version of the Model Y Juniper that comes with a high price tag. For this comparison, we'll use the specs from the both the entry-level Model Y Juniper being sold in China, and the launch edition New Model Y being sold in the U.S. Keep in mind, however, that until the Model Y Juniper gets a wider U.S. release, only the previous-generation Model Y is being sold alongside the Launch Edition New Model Y

Read more
Tesla Model Y Juniper vs Kia EV9: Can the new Model Y beat a large SUV?
White Tesla Model Y Juniper at a Supercharger

America's most popular electric vehicle, the Tesla Model Y, is getting a major refresh. Tesla already launched the Tesla Model Y Juniper in China, but now it's bringing the vehicle to the US.

Of course, the new Model Y has to go up against a host of competitive electric vehicles, some of which are larger, some faster, and some even cheaper. The Kia EV9 has been hailed for being one of the few full-size electric SUVs that offers a high-quality driving experience without completely breaking the bank.

Read more