Kia is returning to the world’s biggest tech event next month. The automaker will unveil its new purpose-built EVs and vision for the future at CES, starting Jan 9.
After taking five years off, Kia is returning to the event with big plans. The company will present its upcoming PBV lineup and business strategy.
Kia PBV combines “fit-for-purpose EVs” with advanced software that will “open the door to new businesses and lifestyles.” It will also present new dedicated hardware like Easy Swap and digital solutions developed by Hyundai.
The Kia exhibit will feature five purpose-built EVs, including its first, scheduled for mass production in 2025. You will also see a range of PBV tech alongside a demonstration.
Kia will introduce its “EVs for all” vision with the EV3 and EV4 concepts on display. The exhibit will also include Kia’s flagship EV9 and sporty EV6 GT.
The PBV lineup will include five vehicles: three medium, one large, and one small PBV. The small version will be the first to be shown at CES next month, starting January 9th.
Kia purpose-built EVs (Source: Kia)
Kia to present new purpose-built EVs at CES
Kia wants to make purpose-built EVs part of its core business as it transitions to a sustainable mobility solution provider. The company aims to expand into e-commerce, logistics, shuttle, and robot delivery with purpose-built EVs.
The growth in car-sharing and delivery has fueled the need for eco-friendly solutions. With most developed countries moving toward stricter environmental regulations, Kia aims to help the transition.
(Source: Kia)
In April, Kia began construction on its first PBV factory (also its first dedicated EV plant) in South Korea. The automaker invested around $758 million (1 trillion won), with mass production expected to start in the second half of 2025.
Kia plans to produce 150,000 units in the first year, with the potential to expand “in line with future market conditions.”
The company previously said its first PBV would be based on a new “eS” platform dedicated to purpose-built EVs.
An interior sketch design of the Kia EV9 offers a glimpse of future PBV mobility (Source: Kia)
Kia’s first PBV is designed for delivery, ride-hailing, and B2B. After that, it will launch a larger version for fresh-food delivery, logistics, shuttles, mobile offices, and more.
Electrek’s Take
Kia looks to take a page from Ford, GM, and Rivian with its new PBV business. Massive corporations like Amazon, Walmart, FedEx, and UPS need to cut emissions, and transitioning their fleets will be key.
Amazon has already begun rolling out Rivian electric delivery vans (EDVs), while the EV startup signed its second commercial van partner Thursday in AT&T.
GM established Brightdrop in 2021 with customers including FedEx and Ryder deploying the electric last mile solutions. Meanwhile, Ford sold nearly 6,200 electric E-Transit vans in the US through November.
Demand for purpose-built EVs is only expected to continue rising as companies transition to electric. Not only that, but people are also using them for mobile offices or shops, adventure vehicles, and more.
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(From left) CNBC’s Steve Sedgwick moderates an IoT panel with Cenk Alper, CEO of Sabanci Holding, Christina Shim, chief sustainability officer of IBM, and Mitesh Patel, interim CEO and COO of SunCable International, at CONVERGE LIVE on March 13, 2025.
Renewable energy companies can shorten the long approval process needed for their projects by communicating better with stakeholders, according to experts.
Christina Shim, IBM’s chief sustainability officer, said sponsors need to focus on the business value — in addition to the environmental benefits — when discussing their projects.
“That being said … there are some triggering words now, depending on where you sit around the world, and I think the more that you can quantify business value for what you’re doing and tie it to, again, the business operations and business decision making, it’s only going to be more and more important,” Shim said Thursday.
“As long as the outcomes are the same, you just need to make sure that you’re communicating in an appropriate way with the right stakeholders.”
She compared it to how one might talk to a CFO, versus an investor, versus someone in procurement. “You kind of have to talk about things a little bit differently.”
Mitesh Patel, interim CEO and COO at SunCable International, agrees that adjusting communication for the right audience is crucial.
“For politicians, the voters are their constituency, not your project or not your company. You have to help them translate what benefits your project will bring to the constituents,” said Patel, whose company is developing a project to deliver solar energy from Australia to Singapore via undersea cables.
The comments by Shim and Patel, who were speaking to CNBC’s Steve Sedgwick on a panel in Singapore, come as renewable energy projects often take many years to get off the ground.
A report from the Global Infrastructure hub, which is part of the World Bank’s Public-Private Infrastructure Advisory Facility, noted the complex nature of preparation needed before an infrastructure project gets underway. It put the average project preparation time at 6 years but said it can take up to 14 years if the project is not planned properly.
Cenk Alper, CEO of Sabanci Holding, a Turkish conglomerate, said the biggest obstacle to getting renewable energy projects off the ground is often regulatory.
“The biggest problem is still government — the permits. Because from licensing to making a project ready, the total time is longer than the construction time,” he said.
The situation in Europe is worse, he added, citing a project where connecting to the grid took two years.
Alper said Western countries need to streamline the approval process for renewable energy projects, noting China has embarked on more projects in the last five years than the rest of the world combined.
Volkswagen ID.4 production at Chattanooga, TN (Source: VW)
A new study from the REPEAT Project led by Princeton University’s ZERO Lab warns that the repeal of Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) tax credits could decimate the growing EV manufacturing sector.
The report “Potential Impacts of Electric Vehicle Tax Credit Repeal on US Vehicle Market and Manufacturing” clearly outlines the risks. The Princeton study states that repealing the IRA federal tax credits and the EPA’s clean vehicle regulations would sharply reduce EV demand.
Specifically, EV sales could drop around 30% by 2027 and nearly 40% by 2030 compared to sticking with the policies implemented by the Biden administration. That means the share of EVs among new cars sold would shrink dramatically – from about 18% to 13% by 2026 and from 40% to just 24% by 2030.
“While no one has a perfect crystal ball, this is our best attempt to survey available quantitative forecasts and develop an outlook on US EV sales,” explained the study’s project leader, Jesse D. Jenkins, assistant professor at Princeton’s Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering and Andlinger Center for Energy & Environment in an email. “The report is also the only analysis I’m aware of to date that draws the connection to US manufacturing as well.”
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Here’s why this matters: The report points out that repealing these policies wouldn’t just slow down EV adoption – it could seriously derail the US manufacturing renaissance now underway. Up to 100% of planned expansions for EV assembly plants could be canceled or shuttered. Battery manufacturing would also take a huge hit, with between 29% and 72% of battery cell production capacity becoming redundant by 2025. That means factories under construction or those just coming online would be at risk.
To put that into perspective, an Environmental Defense Fund report released in January found that $197.6 billion worth of investments in EV and battery manufacturing have been announced at 208 facilities around the US, with two-thirds announced since the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act in August 2022.
It’s probably a good time to point out that, in order to qualify for IRA federal tax credits, EVs must be domestically assembled, use battery components that have been substantially domestically produced, and use critical minerals produced, processed, or recycled in North America or free trade agreement countries.
Why, then, is the Trump administration torpedoing an industry that’s achieving the very thing it says it wants to achieve, which is to boost domestic manufacturing and jobs?
And let’s not forget the broader EV supply chain – materials, parts, and component suppliers across the country would also suffer, though these effects haven’t even been fully quantified yet.
Bottom line: Repealing the tax credits and regulations wouldn’t just slow down EV sales – it would threaten the jobs, investments, and communities counting on America’s EV manufacturing boom.
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The Optiq, Cadillac’s most affordable EV, just got a price cut. Despite being on the market for less than two months, GM cut lease prices by nearly $100 a month. Here’s how you can snag the deal.
GM cuts lease prices on Cadillac’s most affordable EV
Compared to Cadillac’s other electric vehicles, like the Escalade IQL, which starts at over $130,000, and the Vistiq, which has a price tag of over $77,000, the Optiq already looks like a steal at about $55,000.
Cadillac’s electric SUV arrived in January with lease prices starting at $489 per month. Although this was already its cheapest SUV (gas or EV), GM is making it even more affordable this month.
The 2025 Cadillac Lyriq is now listed at just $399 for 24 months with $4,929 due at signing. In less than two months, the OPTIQ’s lease prices have fallen by $90, or almost 20%. The deal is for the 2025 Cadillac Optiq AWD Luxury 1 with an MSRP of $54,390.
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Cadillac’s lease deal runs through March 31. However, there are a few limitations you should know about. The deal includes a $2,000 loyalty or conquest offer.
Cadillac Optiq EV lease deal (Source: Cadillac)
The fine print states you must be a lessee of a 2020 model year or newer non-GM vehicle for at least 30 days. According to online car research firm CarsDirect, this extends to 2011 and newer electric vehicles from a competitor brands such as Tesla, Rivian, Porsche, BMW, Ford, and Honda, among several others.
At 190″ long, 75″ wide, and 65″ tall, the Cadillac Optiq is about the same size as the Tesla Model Y (187″ long x 76″ wide x 64″ tall).
Powered by an 85 kWh battery pack, the electric SUV has a driving range of up to 302 miles. With 150 kW DC fast charging, the Optiq can gain up to 79 miles of range in about 10 minutes.
2025 Cadillac Optiq trim
Starting Price (including destination)
Driving Range (EPA-estimated)
Luxury 1
$54,390
302 miles
Luxury 2
$56,590
302 miles
Sport 1
$54,990
302 miles
Sport 2
$57,090
302 miles
2025 Cadillac Optiq price and range by trim
Inside, the Optiq features a massive 33″ infotainment and “segment-leading” cargo (57 cubic feet) and second-row space.
GM has been introducing new deals on new EV models all year. Chevy’s new Equinox, Blazer, and Silverado EVs are all available with 0% APR with leases starting as low as $299 per month.
Ready to take advantage of the savings? We can help you get started. Check out our links below to find deals on GM’s most popular EVs in your area.
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