Kia confirms the electric Tasman pickup we’ve been waiting for is coming soon
It’s official: The all-electric Kia pickup truck is on its way. Although we had a suspicion, Kia confirmed an EV version of its Tasman pickup is coming soon. Here’s what to expect.
After teasing its first pickup truck for what seemed like forever, Kia finally unveiled the Tasman in October. Although many, including myself, were hoping for an electric model, we only got a 2.2-liter diesel engine.
That will soon change. We knew an EV version was in the works after Kia revealed plans to launch two electric pickups during its 2022 CEO Investor Day. Kia said one model will be for emerging markets while the other is a dedicated EV pickup.
In the US, where SUVs and trucks dominate sales, Kia said, “Electric versions of these models will be produced locally.”
Now, it’s official. An executive confirmed that Kia will launch an EV version of the Tasman pickup. According to CarBuzz, Kia’s head of marketing for South Africa, Christo Valentyn, said during a media event earlier this month, “I’m probably not supposed to say this, but… an electric one is coming.”
At 5,410 mm long, 1,930 mm wide, and 1,870 mm tall, Kia’s Tasman is slightly smaller than the Ford F-150 Lightning (5,885 mm long, 2,029 mm wide, and 1,961 mm tall). It will be a direct rival to the Toyota Tacoma and Hilux.
Is Kia launching an EV pickup in the US?
This is the first time Kia has officially confirmed an electric Tasman is in the works. Although Kia said its modular platform was flexible enough to fit different powertrains, an EV version was never mentioned.
The electric pickup was already spotted testing in the US earlier this year (see the video below). Although it’s hard to confirm, the test mule does not appear to be the Tasman. It looks to have a design closer to Kia’s three-row EV9 SUV.
Kia’s electric pickup will compete against a growing number of EV trucks, including the Ford F-150 Lightning, Tesla Cybertruck, Rivian R1T, Chevy Silverado EV, and more. It’s also expected to challenge global top-selling gas and hybrid pickups like the Toyota Hilux.
Will Kia launch its EV pickup in the US? That’s yet to be confirmed. However, it would only make sense after Kia’s parent company, Hyundai Motor Group, recently started production at its massive new manufacturing plant in Georgia.
Kia is already building the three-row EV9 in Georgia. With America’s love for pickups, Kia’s electric Tasman is expected to make its way to the states.
Valentyn added that “you have to be respectful of the segment-leaders,” referring to Ford and Toyota. To compete, it will likely need to be built in the US.
Kia is launching the Tasman in Korea in the first half of 2025, followed by Australia, Africa, The Middle East, Saudi Arabia, and other markets. In some overseas markets, like Australia, a plug-in hybrid version is expected to launch.
Would you buy an electric Kia pickup over Ford’s F-150 Lightning or Tesla Cybertruck? Let us know in the comments below.
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In his latest crackdown on e-bike riders, New York City Mayor Eric Adams is pushing for a new citywide e-bike speed limit of 15 mph (25 km/h), despite the fact that no one seems to know how it would actually be enforced.
The proposal, introduced last month as part of a broader package aimed at improving safety on city streets, would make it illegal to ride an e-bike over 15 mph. But experts, advocates, and even city officials are scratching their heads about how the rule would work in practice.
Most consumer e-bikes are already sold with speed limits in place: 20 mph (32 km/h) for throttle assist and 28 mph (45 km/) for pedal assist, per classifications used in the majority of states in the US. Yet those limits are controlled by the bike’s electronics, not by any city infrastructure.
According to reporting by Hell Gate NYC, even the Mayor’s own office couldn’t explain what the enforcement mechanism would look like, and no single agency has so far been put in charge of enforcing the speed limit. Will the city mandate software modifications such as those that limit Class 3 e-bikes to 25 mph (40 km/h) in NYC? Would they rely on radar guns like traditional speeding enforcement for cars? Install speed cameras that can identify bikes? So far, there are no answers.
Citi Bike has already reduced its electric bicycle fleet’s speed limits to 15 mph, but that only impacts shared e-bikes used in the city. Complicating matters further is the fact that most delivery riders – who are clearly the unspoken target of this policy – don’t use mainstream e-bikes from the major manufacturers, or even those that can accept firmware updates to adjust speed and power. Many of them ride inexpensive, sometimes heavily modified throttle bikes purchased online or from bike shops like FLY that cater to these types of riders. Such e-bikes often lack more sophisticated software speed-limiting features, and few, if any, have any form of digital connectivity that could allow for remote speed capping.
City transportation experts note that enforcement of speed limits on e-bikes is nearly impossible without clocking and stopping each rider. Unlike cars, bikes don’t have license plates. And even if a bike is capable of going faster than 15 mph, it doesn’t mean the rider is actually breaking the law – unless caught in the act. Nearly every car in NYC can likely push close to or past 100 mph (160 km/h), despite the city wide’s vehicular speed limit of just 25 mph. Advocates have also questioned the wisdom of focusing on e-bike speed while car crashes continue to injure and kill far more people.
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Environment
Range Rover’s electric SUV won’t launch this year after a surprise delay, but there’s more
Range Rover’s first EV was initially scheduled to arrive later this year, but that won’t be the case. JLR has delayed the launch of the Range Rover Electric after telling customers they will have to wait a little longer. However, that may not be the only EV JLR is delaying.
Range Rover Electric and Jaguar EVs are being delayed
Although the electric SUV was originally due to hit showrooms in late 2025, it’s now being pushed back until next year.
The British automaker claimed it needed more time for testing while it waited for stronger demand. However, there’s more to the story. According to The Guardian, Jaguar Land Rover wrote to clients waiting for the Range Rover Electric, telling them deliveries will not start until 2026.
Sources close to the matter said the delay could also impact two Jaguar EV models, including the radical blue-and-pink Type 00 Concept. Jaguar’s electric vehicles are expected to be delayed by several months.
The news comes after JLR announced plans to cut up to 500 management positions in the UK this week. Britain’s largest carmaker was hit hard by the Trump Administration’s new auto tariffs.
JLR’s sales plunged over 15% in the previous quarter after the company was forced to temporarily halt shipments to the US.
A company spokesperson confirmed that “By 2030 JLR will sell electric versions of all its luxury brands,” adding “we will launch our new models at the right time for our clients, our business and individual markets.”
Range Rover’s first electric SUV has secured over 61,000 customers on the waiting list. JLR claims it’s currently undergoing “the most intensive testing any Range Rover vehicle has ever endured.”
An electric version of the Velar is due for a radical new look. It’s scheduled for production in April 2026, but that could also be delayed. An electric Defender is due out in early 2027.
Meanwhile, production on Jaguar’s new EV, its first since the I-PACE, is set to begin in August 2026. Jaguar’s electric GT is expected to cost over £100,000 ($135,000) as part of its brand revamp. Its second EV may not launch until December 2027 now.
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This week on Electrek’s Wheel-E podcast, we discuss the most popular news stories from the world of electric bikes and other nontraditional electric vehicles. This time, that includes new e-bikes from Aventon and Lectric, a surge in Amish riding e-bikes, a wireless charging kickstand, cheaper electric motorcycles coming from Honda and LiveWire and more.
The Wheel-E podcast returns every two weeks on Electrek’s YouTube channel, Facebook, Linkedin, and Twitter.
As a reminder, we’ll have an accompanying post, like this one, on the site with an embedded link to the live stream. Head to the YouTube channel to get your questions and comments in.
After the show ends, the video will be archived on YouTube and the audio on all your favorite podcast apps:
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Here are a few of the articles that we will discuss during the Wheel-E podcast today:
Here’s the live stream for today’s episode starting at 9:00 a.m. ET (or the video after 10:00 a.m. ET):
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