Kia shows its EV3 and EV4 concepts at LA Auto Show
Kia introduced its EV3 small SUV and EV4 sedan concepts, which are expected to become the next additions to the company’s EV lineup, to the US at the LA Auto Show today.
We already saw the EV3 and EV4 last month when images leaked in advance of Kia’s EV Day in Korea. Then we got a few more details on EV Day itself, but still, primarily just a few more photos.
Now, at the LA Auto Show, we’re going to have a chance to see the concepts up close and personal – or, at least, on a stage and surrounded by tons of people.
Kia marked the occasion with a press release that has very little detail in it other than some discussion of design and no real specs or availability. To be fair, these are just concepts so far, and concepts often don’t have any specs attached (or, if they do, they’re highly speculative).
These two vehicles vehicles may officially be concepts, but Kia said the same about the EV9, which it showed at the LA Auto Show in 2021, and now that vehicle is just about to hit the road. So if the same timeline keeps, we can expect the EV3 and EV4 in the 2026 model year.
Update: We can’t get close to the cars, but here are some photos of the cars on stage.
Kia calls these “material-driven concepts,” both of which try to use the 10 must-have items which Kia detailed earlier this year at its EV9 launch. These are sustainable materials like bio-plastic and leather substitutes, recycled fabrics, and BTX-free paint.
“The Concept EV3 and Concept EV4 are sharply styled, material-driven concepts that point to the expansion of the Kia EV lineup, and California is the barometer for successful EVs,” said Steven Center, COO & EVP, Kia America. “That’s why we came to Los Angeles and America’s savviest EV consumers, to gauge reaction to two potential opportunities within the Kia lineup.”
So, lets have a look at the photos Kia provided and hopefully we’ll be able to add a few more from the show floor once we get a closer look.
Kia Concept EV3
Kia says that its EV3 concept was inspired by the design language of the much larger EV9 three-row SUV.
The squared-off wheel arches add to a generally geometric nature on the exterior of the car, looking quite boxy overall.
The interior though looks quite spartan, with a clean dashboard reminiscent of the dashboard in the Hyundai Ioniq 5, from Kia’s sister company. The Ioniq 5 is built on the shared E-GMP platform that underpins most of Kia/Hyundai’s EV offerings, and which will underpin the EV3 and EV4 as well.
On the interior, the EVs has mood lighting throughout and uses natural fibers in the seats. Kia says the center armrest between the seats is a table that slides forward and backward and supports 4 “modes”: Focus, Social, Refreshing and Storage. It, too, is made of natural materials, including mycelium.
Kia Concept EV4
Kia says that the EV4 concept takes a sportier tack, with a low nose and a long tail with small spoiler at the rear. Long tail cars are named as such due to a tapered body line behind the rear wheels, which helps to reduce drag from aerodynamic eddies behind the car.
In addition, the wide and low stance of the car adds to the sporty look and Kia says the EV4 is a “new type of EV sedan.” Though, in pictures, it does look quite similar to the EV3, as both share the same boxy design language (and with the EV9, as well).
On the interior, the EV4 uses recycled cotton and has “handwoven fabric stripes” on the dashboard and cargo area which make it look 3d.
The dash is similarly spartan to the EV3, but there’s a nifty slide-out touchscreen with the user interface for heating and air conditioning.
The Kia press conference has only just started, so check back soon and we’ll have a few photos of the cars on stage when we get a chance.
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After a month off trying to wrap our heads around all the chaos surrounding EVs, solar, and everything else in Washington, we’re back with the biggest EV news stories of the day from Tesla, Ford, Volvo, and everyone else on today’s hiatus-busting episode of Quick Charge!
It just gets worse and worse for the Tesla true believers – especially those willing to put their money where Elon’s mouth is! One believer is set to lose nearly $50,000 betting on Tesla’s ability to deliver a Robotaxi service by the end of June (didn’t happen), and the controversial CEO’s most recent spat with President Trump had TSLA down nearly 5% in pre-morning trading.
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Hyundai is getting ready to shake things up. A new electric crossover SUV, likely the Hyundai IONIQ 2, is set to debut in the coming months. It will sit below the Kona Electric as Hyundai expands its entry-level EV lineup.
Is Hyundai launching the IONIQ 2 in 2026?
After launching the Inster late last year, Hyundai is already preparing to introduce a new entry-level EV in Europe.
Xavier Martinet, President and CEO of Hyundai Europe, confirmed that the new EV will be revealed “in the next few months.” It will be built in Europe and scheduled to go on sale in mid-2026.
Hyundai’s new electric crossover is expected to be a twin to the Kia EV2, which will likely arrive just ahead of it next year.
It will be underpinned by the same E-GMP platform, which powers all IONIQ and Kia EV models (EV3, EV4, EV5, EV6, and EV9).
Like the Kia EV3, it will likely be available with either a 58.3 kWh or 81.4 kWh battery pack option. The former provides a WLTP range of 267 miles while the latter is rated with up to 372 miles. All trims are powered by a single electric motor at the front, producing 201 hp and 209 lb-ft of torque.
Although it may share the same underpinnings as the EV2, Hyundai’s new entry-level EV will feature an advanced new software and infotainment system.
According to Autocar, the interior will represent a “step change” in terms of usability and features. The new system enables new functions, such as ambient lighting and sounds that adjust depending on the drive mode.
It’s expected to showcase Hyundai’s powerful new Pleos software and infotainment system. As an end-to-end software platform, Pleos connects everything from the infotainment system (Pleos Connect) to the Vehicle Operating System (OS) and the cloud.
Pleos is set to power Hyundai’s upcoming software-defined vehicles (SDVs) with new features like autonomous driving and real-time data analysis.
As an Android-based system, Pleos Connect features a “smartphone-like UI” with new functions including multi-window viewing and an AI voice assistant.
The new electric crossover is expected to start at around €30,000 ($35,400), or slightly less than the Kia EV3, priced from €35,990 ($42,500). It will sit between the Inster and Kona Electric in Hyundai’s lineup.
Hyundai said that it would launch the first EV with its next-gen infotainment system in Q2 2026. Will it be the IONIQ 2? Hyundai is expected to unveil the new entry-level EV at IAA Mobility in September. Stay tuned for more info. We’ll keep you updated with the latest.
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Tesla has unveiled its lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) battery cell factory in Nevada and claims that it is nearly ready to start production.
Like several other automakers using LFP cells, Tesla relies heavily on Chinese manufacturers for its battery cell supply.
Tesla’s cheapest electric vehicles all utilize LFP cells, and its entire range of energy storage products, Megapacks and Powerwalls, also employ the more affordable LFP cell chemistry from Chinese manufacturers.
This reliance on Chinese manufacturers is less than ideal and particularly complicated for US automakers and battery pack manufacturers like Tesla, amid an ongoing trade war between the US and virtually the entire world, including China.
As of last year, a 25% tariff already applied to battery cells from China, but this increased to more than 80% under Trump before he paused some tariffs on China. It remains unclear where they will end up by the time negotiations are complete and the trade war is resolved, but many expect it to be higher.
Prior to Trump taking power, Tesla had already planned to build a small LFP battery factory in the US to avoid the 25% tariffs.
The automaker had secured older manufacturing equipment from one of its battery cell suppliers, CATL, and planned to deploy it in the US for small-scale production.
Tesla has now released new images of the factory in Nevada and claimed that it is “nearing completion”:
Here are a few images from inside the factory (via Tesla):
Previous reporting stated that Tesla aims to produce about 10 GWh of LFP battery cells per year at the new factory.
The cells are expected to be used in Tesla’s Megapack, produced in the US. Tesla currently has a capacity to produce 40 GWh of Megapacks annually at its factory in California. The company is also working on a new Megapack factory in Texas.
Ford is also developing its own LFP battery cell factory in Michigan, but this facility is significantly larger, with a planned production capacity of 35 GWh.
Electrek’s Take
It’s nice to see this in the US. LFP was a US/Canada invention, with Arumugam Manthiram and John B. Goodenough doing much of the early work, and researchers in Quebec making several contributions to help with commercialization.
But China saw the potential early and invested heavily in volume manufacturing of LFP cells and it now dominates the market.
Tesla is now producing most of its vehicles with LFP cells and all its stationary energy storage products.
It makes sense to invest in your own production. However, Tesla is unlikely to catch up to BYD and CATL, which dominate LFP cell production.
The move will help Tesla avoid tariffs on a small percentage of its Megapacks produced in the US. Ford’s effort is more ambitious.
It’s worth noting that both Ford’s and Tesla’s LFP plants were planned before Trump’s tariffs, which have had limited success in bringing manufacturing back to the US.
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