Connect with us

Published

on

Kia launched its new EV5 electric SUV in China Friday. With a starting price of around $20K (149,800 yuan), the EV5 is expected to take on market leaders, including Tesla’s Model Y.

Can Kia compete in the world’s largest EV market? The South Korean automaker hopes to achieve that with its new compact electric SUV.

Kia officially unveiled the EV5 in August as a family-friendly electric SUV. After opening pre-orders in China on August 25, Kia revealed prices would be much lower than expected.

Although local reports expected starting prices of around $40,000 (300,000 yuan), Kia is launching the EV5 at half that.

The EV5 officially launched Wednesday with a starting price of $20,700 (149,800 yuan). That significantly undercuts the Tesla’s Model Y, starting at 266,400 yuan ($37,000).

At 4,615 mm long, 1,875 mm wide, and 1,715 mm tall, the EV5 will compete directly with the Model Y (L – 4,760 mm, W – 1,921 mm, H – 1,624 mm).

Kia’s electric SUV will compete with low-cost EVs from leaders like BYD. BYD is dominating the market with affordable EVs like the Dolphin electric hatchback and Yuan Plus.

The Dolphin starts at around $17,000 (126,800 yuan), while the Yuan Plus is priced at $19,000 (139,800 yuan).

Kia-$20K-EV5
Kia EV5 (Source: Kia)

Kia launches $20K EV5 to take on BYD, Tesla

Influenced by its flagship EV9’s design, the EV5 “brings a new era of electric mobility to the compact SUV sector to meet the needs of millennial families.”

The EV5 features Kia’s new “Opposites United” design, including a rugged, boxy exterior with powerful fenders.

Kia-$20K-EV5
Kia EV5 electric SUV (Source: Kia)

You will notice the new “Tiger Face” up front, replacing Kia’s signature “Tiger Nose” grille. The vehicle’s three-dimensional “Star Map Lighting” further emphasizes the SUV’s aggressive design.

Since millennials use their SUV as an “additional room,” according to Kia, the EV5’s interior is designed to be more like a home lounge. A pushed-back D-pillar extends the interior space. Meanwhile, the folding rear bench provides ultimate flexibility with additional storage under the floor.

Kia-$20K-EV5
Kia EV5 interior (Source: Kia)

Equipped with Kia’s connected car Navigation Cockpit (ccNC), the EV5 features a panoramic wide display. This includes a dual 12.3″ cluster and infotainment and a 5″ climate control display.

Kia kept the interior simple with few buttons, resulting in a minimalist feel. Instead, four hidden hard keys are held under the central AVNT screen.

Kia-$20K-EV5
Kia EV5 rear (Source: Kia)

Based on Hyundai’s E-GMP platform, the EV5 will come in three variations: standard, long-range, and long-range AWD.

The standard Kia EV5 trim, starting at around $20K, is equipped with a 64.2 kWh BYD Blade battery pack and 160 kW motor, providing up to 530 km (329 miles) CLTC range. The long-range model features an 88.1 kWh battery for up to 720 km (447 miles) CLTC range.

Kia-$20K-EV5
Kia EV5 battery options and range (Source: Kia)

That’s not too far off from Tesla’s Model Y. The Model Y RWD, starting at 266,400 yuan ($37K), features 554 km (344 miles) CLTC range. The Model Y long-range, starting at 302,400 yuan ($42K), includes up to 544 km (338 miles) range.

Electrek’s Take

Kia’s new electric SUV could play a significant role as the automaker looks to expand in the biggest EV market globally.

At nearly half the cost, Kia’s EV5 is aimed at rival market leaders like Tesla’s Model Y. It will also take on low-cost competitors like the BYD Dolphin and Yuan Plus EVs.

The only thing Kia needs to work on now is bringing the EV5 overseas to the US. Kia’s flagship EV9 will hit US dealerships by the end of the year, but a smaller, cheaper option could sell with affordable EVs like the current Bolt EV, being retired at the end of the year.

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

Continue Reading

Environment

Paris’ popular bike share program has a big sticky finger problem

Published

on

By

Paris' popular bike share program has a big sticky finger problem

Paris’ bike-share system, Vélib has long been considered one of the shining success stories of urban micromobility. With a massive fleet of over 20,000 pedal and electric-assist bicycles around Paris, the service has helped millions of residents and tourists get around the City of Light without needing a car or scooter. But lately, a growing problem is threatening to knock the wheels off this urban mobility marvel: theft and joyriding.

According to city officials and the service operator, more than 600 Vélib bikes are now going missing every single week. That’s over 30 bikes a day simply vanishing from the system – some stolen outright, others taken on “joy rides” and never returned.

“At the moment we’re missing 3,000 bikes,” explained Sylvain Raifaud, head of the Agemob company that currently operates the Velib system. That’s nearly 15% of over 20,000 Vélib bikes across Paris.

The sticky-fingered culprits aren’t necessarily professional thieves or organized crime rings. Instead, they’re often regular users who treat the shared bikes like disposable toys.

Advertisement – scroll for more content

The city estimates that many people have figured out how to pry the bikes out of the system’s parking docks, unlocking one for a casual cruise and then ditching it somewhere far from a docking station.

Once pried free, the bikes are technically usable for the next 24 hours until their automatic locking feature kicks in. At that point, the bikes are often simply abandoned. Some end up in alleyways. Others get tossed in rivers. A few just disappear completely.

And since the bikes are intended to be parked at their many docking stations around the city, they don’t have GPS chips, further complicating recovery of “liberated” bikes.

The issue started small but has grown into more than an inconvenience – it’s beginning to undermine the entire purpose of the service. With bikes going missing at such a high rate, many Vélib docking stations are left empty, especially during rush hours.

Riders looking for a quick commute or a convenient hop across town are increasingly finding themselves without available bikes, or having to walk long distances to find a functioning one.

That kind of unreliability chips away at user confidence and threatens to drive potential riders back into cars, cabs, or other less sustainable forms of transport at a time when Paris has already made great strides to dramatically reduce car usage in the city.

The losses are financially painful, too. Replacing stolen or vandalized bikes isn’t cheap, and the resources spent on tracking down missing equipment or reinforcing anti-theft measures are stretching thin. Vélib has faced theft and vandalism issues before, especially during its early years, but this latest surge has officials sounding the alarm with renewed urgency.

Officials acknowledge that there’s no easy fix. Paris, like many cities with bike-share systems, walks a fine line between accessibility and accountability. Part of what makes Vélib so successful is its ease of use and widespread availability. But those same features make it vulnerable to misuse – especially when enforcement is limited and the consequences for abuse are minimal.

The timing of the problem is especially unfortunate. In recent years, Paris has seen impressive results in reducing car traffic, expanding bike lanes, and promoting cycling as a key part of its sustainable transport strategy. Vélib is a cornerstone of that plan. But if the system becomes too unreliable, it risks losing the very people it was designed to serve.

Meanwhile, as Parisians increasingly find themselves staring at empty docks, the challenge for the city and Vélib will be to restore confidence in the system without making it harder to use. That means striking the right balance between freedom and responsibility, between open access and protection against abuse.

In a city where cycling is supposed to be the future of mobility, losing thousands of bikes to joyriders and sticky fingers isn’t just frustrating; it’s unsustainable.

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

Continue Reading

Environment

CNBC Daily Open: Elon Musk, founder of companies and political parties

Published

on

By

CNBC Daily Open: Elon Musk, founder of companies and political parties

U.S. President Donald Trump and Elon Musk attend a press event in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 30, 2025.

Nathan Howard | Reuters

When they lose a significant other, most men do indeed become a “TRAIN WRECK.” Then they pick up the pieces of their lives and start living again — paying attention to their personal grooming, hitting the gym and discovering new hobbies.

What does the world’s richest man do? He starts a political party.

Last weekend, as the United States celebrated its independence from the British in 1776, Elon Musk enshrined his sovereignty from U.S. President Donald Trump by establishing the creatively named “American Party.”

Few details have been revealed, but Musk said the party will focus on “just 2 or 3 Senate seats and 8 to 10 House districts,” and will have legislative discussions “with both parties” — referring to the U.S. Democratic and Republican Parties.

It might be easier to realize Musk’s dream of colonizing Mars than to bridge the political aisle in the U.S. government today.

To be fair, some thought appeared to be behind the move. Musk decided to form the party after holding a poll on X in which 65.4% of respondents voted in favor.

Folks, here’s direct democracy — and the powerful post-separation motivation — in action.

 — CNBC’s Erin Doherty contributed to this report.

What you need to know today

And finally…

An investor sits in front of a board showing stock information at a brokerage office in Beijing, China.

Thomas Peter | Reuters

Continue Reading

Environment

CNBC Daily Open: Most people don’t start a political party after separation

Published

on

By

CNBC Daily Open: Most people don't start a political party after separation

US President Donald Trump, right, and Elon Musk, chief executive officer of Tesla Inc., during a news conference in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Friday, May 30, 2025.

Francis Chung | Bloomberg | Getty Images

When they find themselves without a significant other, most men finally start living: They pay attention to their personal grooming, hit the gym and discover new hobbies.

What does the world’s richest man do? He starts a political party.

Last weekend, as the United States celebrated its independence from the British in 1776, Elon Musk enshrined his sovereignty from U.S. President Donald Trump by establishing the creatively named “American Party.”

Few details have been revealed, but Musk said the party will focus on “just 2 or 3 Senate seats and 8 to 10 House districts,” and will have legislative discussions “with both parties” — referring to the U.S. Democratic and Republican Parties.

It might be easier to realize Musk’s dream of colonizing Mars than to bridge the political aisle in the U.S. government today.

To be fair, some thought appeared to be behind the move. Musk decided to form the party after holding a poll on X in which 65.4% of respondents voted in favor.

Folks, here’s direct democracy — and the powerful post-separation motivation — in action.

 — CNBC’s Erin Doherty contributed to this report.

What you need to know today

Trump confirms tariffs will kick in Aug. 1. That postpones the deadline by a month, but tariffs could “boomerang” back to April levels for countries without deals. Trump on Friday said letters with “take it or leave it” offers will go out to 12 countries Monday.

U.S. stock futures slipped Sunday. Despite the White House pushing back the return of “reciprocal” tariffs, some investors could be worried trade negotiations would result in higher-than-expected duties. Europe’s Stoxx 600 index dropped 0.48% Friday.

OPEC+ members to increase oil output. Eight members of the alliance agreed on Saturday to hike their collective crude production by 548,000 barrels per day, around 100,000 more than expected.

Elon Musk forms a new political party. On Saturday, the world’s richest man said he has formed a new U.S. political party named the “American Party,” which he claims will give Americans “back your freedom.”

[PRO] Wall Street is growing cautious on European equities. As investors seek shelter from tumult in U.S., the Stoxx 600 index has risen 6.6% year to date. Analysts, however, think the foundations of that growth could be shaky.

And finally…

Ayrton Senna driving the Marlboro McLaren during the Belgian Grand Prix in 1992.

Pascal Rondeau | Hulton Archive | Getty Images

The CEO mindset is shifting. It’s no longer all about winning

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/07/06/the-ceo-mindset-is-shifting-its-no-longer-all-about-winning.html

CEOs today aren’t just steering companies — they’re navigating a minefield. From geopolitical shocks and economic volatility to rapid shifts in tech and consumer behavior, the playbook for leadership is being rewritten in real time.

In an exclusive interview with CNBC earlier this week, McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown outlined a leadership approach centered on urgency, momentum and learning from failure. 

— Spriha Srivastava

Continue Reading

Trending