Kia’s upcoming entry-level EV has finally made its way to the famous Nurburgring for testing. The EV4 hatch was spotted ripping across the track, nearly on two wheels at one point, as Kia preps for its big debut.

According to Kia, the EV4 is “an entirely new type of EV sedan. ” It was first unveiled last October during Kia’s first annual EV Day, alongside the EV3 and EV5 as part of its new low-cost lineup.

The EV5 launched in China last year, while the EV3 is already rolling out in Korea and Europe. Next up, we will finally see the production version of the EV4.

Although its four-door format suggests it’s a sedan, Kia said the EV4’s bold design is a symbol of the company’s innovation. Its low nose, long-tail silhouette, and added roof spoiler give it an almost racecar-like feel.

With its official debut approaching, Kia’s EV4 has been spotted out in the wild several times. Last week, it was caught testing in the US for the first time.

A hatchback model has also been spotted. It was first caught on European roads this summer and in the US earlier this month.

Kia EV4 hatch takes on the Nurburgring as debut looms

After the EV4 was spotted racing across the Nurburgring for the first time, we are getting our best look yet at the upcoming Kia model.

The video from CarSpyMedia shows the EV4 hatch carving up sections of the track. Several times, you can see the EV4 is being pushed to the limits, nearly going up on two wheels.

However, with a low center of gravity and likely added stabilization tech, the EV4 appears to handle it with ease. You can also see the difference between the sedan model and the hatchback, with the bulky backside.

As it takes on the track, it almost looks like the 576 hp EV6 GT, Kia’s fastest and most powerful car. At least for now.

Kia is expected to officially reveal the EV4 by the end of the year, with deliveries starting in 2025. Prices are expected to be in the $30,000 to $40,000 range. The hatchback model is likely aimed at Europe, but it could also find a market in the US as buyers drift toward more efficient options.

Ahead of the LA Auto Show later this week, Kia is teasing five new vehicles for the US, at least one being an EV. Will it be the EV4? EV3?

Source: CarSpyMedia

Elon Musk is hinting at Tesla making bigger electric cars, but you shouldn’t hold your breath as it’s not the first time he said that.

In the last few hours, Musk responded to two fans on X, asking Tesla to build bigger vehicles to support larger families.

Musk often promotes the idea of having bigger families as he is afraid of declining populations due to low birth rates in some countries.

With the first one, the CEO responded with a simple “OK,” and with the other, he elaborated a bit more by referencing the recently unveiled Tesla Robovan and “some other things”:

Musk appears to be hinting at Tesla’s work on a bigger electric vehicle that has yet to be unveiled.

While interesting, it’s hard to give too much weight to the comment, considering Musk claimed that Tesla has been working on a higher passenger capacity vehicle for years.

A “high passenger-density urban transport” vehicle has been in Tesla’s official product roadmap since 2016 and has yet to be unveiled, unless you count the Robovan unveiled last month, but that’s completely attached to Tesla’s self-driving effort as the vehicle has no steering wheel or pedals.

As part of Tesla’s shift toward autonomous driving, the automaker has pulled back plans for several new electric vehicle programs in favor of those without any driver inputs, like Cybercab and Robotvan.

Musk has also discussed the possibility of Tesla making an electric van on several occasions in the last few years.

Tesla is expected to soon unveil two new vehicles to be launch next year, but those are based on the Model 3 and Model Y and therefore, they aren’t likely to be bigger vehicles.

Electrek’s Take

Like most things Elon says lately, it goes in my “I’ll believe it when I see it” folder.

That said, I think an electric van that can be configured for cargo, camper, or passenger, would make a ton of sense in Tesla’s vehicle lineup.

Of course, it’s harder to get the greenlight for a vehicle program like that if your CEO is perpetually convinced that the company is on the verge of achieving self-driving and making steering wheels obsolete.

I’m more of the opinion that Tesla should have played it more careful and continue working on growing its human-driveable EV lineup while working on self-driving.

That $20,000 luxury Lucid EV you’ve been waiting for will likely never hit the market. CEO Peter Rawlinson said Lucid (LCID) has no plans to launch a $20K vehicle. However, it could play a role in bringing cheaper EVs to market.

After its third straight quarter of record deliveries in Q3, Lucid is gaining traction. The EV maker is now outselling its German luxury rivals in the US, including the Porsche Taycan and Mercedes EQS.

Lucid’s Air even outsold the Tesla Model S in the third quarter. According to Kelley Blue Book, Lucid sold 1,944 Air models in Q3, up 33% from last year, while Tesla Model S sales slipped 47% to 1,669.

The company’s growing sales come despite many media headlines claiming that EV sales are slowing or cooling.

On The Wall Street Journal’s recent Bold Names podcast, Rawlinson said there is a “false narrative” that EVs are in decline. Sales are still up, Rawlinson explained, but they may not be climbing as fast as some had predicted.

Lucid’s CEO is not surprised by some legacy automakers’ “lame efforts.” According to Rawlinson, the company was established for a different reason. Lucid exists “to advance the state of the art of EVs,” the company’s CEO said on the podcast.

Is Lucid launching a $20K EV?

In 2021, Lucid launched the first EV with over 500 miles range. To this day, “There’s no competitor within 100 miles of that car,” according to Rawlinson.

Lucid is focused on efficiency or enabling more range with fewer batteries. To promote widespread adoption, Rawlinson said we must hit the core issue: the cost of batteries as a function of their size.

To get there, Lucid had to start with a high-end premium product, its luxury Air sedan. The company’s leader said Lucid exists to advance “the state of the electric car” with its advanced tech. In other words, it is about driving down costs while unlocking more driving range with smaller, more efficient technology.

So does this mean we will eventually see a $20,000 Lucid EV hit the market? It’s still not likely. According to Rawlinson, Lucid has no plans to build a $20K EV because “that market sucks.”

Lucid’s CEO pointed to Porsche, one of the most profitable legacy automakers, saying, “It doesn’t operate in that sphere.”

Meanwhile, Rawlinson explained that Lucid is “commercially viable in the future.” He believes that is where Lucid could have an opportunity to license its tech.

Enabling cheaper EVs

Regarding a $20K or $25K EV, the company’s advanced tech will “enable that tomorrow,” Rawlinson said, but it will not be a Lucid vehicle. When asked, “Are you going to build that $20,000 vehicle?” Lucid’s CEO responded, “No, because that market sucks.”

The mass market segment has “terrible low margins,” and that’s not where the company is trying to compete.

Rawlinson said other OEMs already have the manufacturing network and could put such a vehicle in place.

The premium EV maker plans to launch several lower-cost vehicles on its upcoming midsize platform, but they will still be around $50,000. Lucid’s midsize SUV, which is due out in 2026, will be “priced around 48 to $50,000,” Rawlinson confirmed.

That’s the price range Lucid wants to do business in, but licensing its tech will enable others to make more affordable products.

Rawlinson said when the new midsize model model launches, “we become a Tesla competitor, head-to-head.” Lucid’s CEO said he believes the upcoming EV will be “massively better than a Tesla Model Y.” He added:

Because of our technological advantage, we should be able to make that car with its competitive range, but with less batteries than anyone else.

According to Rawlinson, doing so will not only save resources but also “allow a better gross margin per vehicle than anyone else.”

That is the game plan, the “chess game” Lucid is playing. Although the media portrays Lucid as a Tesla competitor now, the company is actually targeting Mercedes and Porsche. In a few years, it will challenge Tesla head-to-head with its midsize SUV.

Before that, Lucid is launching its first electric SUV, the Gravity. It has already begun taking orders for the higher-end $94,000 model, which is scheduled to enter production later this year. A more affordable $80,000 version is planned for late 2025.

After securing another $1.75 billion through a recent capital raise, Lucid said it has enough funding for “well into 2026,” right in time for the midsize model.