The newest affordable electric car has officially hit the market. Kia began accepting orders for its new EV3 in Korea this week with a starting price of $30,700 (KRW 42.08 million). The EV3 is Kia’s third EV and the first of its next-gen affordable lineup.
Meet the newest low-cost EV
After introducing the EV3 in October during its first annual EV Day, Kia finally revealed official prices this week.
Kia teased the new low-cost electric car several times ahead of its debut last month. The EV3 takes the updated design and tech from Kia’s flagship EV9, compressing it into a smaller, more affordable package.
However, Kia promises that the EV3 “carves out its own identity” unlike anything in its segment.
One of the most noticeable differences is the “Tiger Face” grille up front, replacing Kia’s old “Tiger Nose” design.
Kia has revamped the brand in the electric era with a stylish new design and logo. The EV3 is viewed as a major catalyst for Kia’s transformation.
The interior is loaded with tech, featuring Kia’s next-gen Connected Car Navigation Cockpit (ccNC) infotainment system. The new system includes dual 12.3″ screens with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support.
After opening orders in Korea, Kia’s domestic business headquarters VP, Jeong Won-Jeong, said, “We expect customers who have been hesitant to purchase an electric vehicle to choose the EV3 without hesitation.”
Kia opens EV3 orders with a starting price of $30,700
Kia opened orders for the new EV3 this week in Korea with a starting price of just $30,700 (KRW 42.08) before tax benefits.
Contracts at Kia branches and dealerships began nationwide on Tuesday with high hopes for the brand’s third EV. Following the EV6 and EV9, Kia’s EV3 will “further enhance Kia’s position as a leading electric vehicle brand” by giving more buyers access to electric options.
The standard EV3 model’s starting price is $30,700 (KRW 42.08 million). Meanwhile, other EV3 trim prices start at $33,400 (KRW 45.71 million) for the Earth and $34,100 (KRW 46.66 million) for the GT Line and Long Range models. Those prices are before tax incentives.
After the environmental-friendly vehicle notification is complete, Kia expects the EV3 price to start at $29,200 (KRW 39.95 million) for the standard model.
Kia EV3 trim
Range
Starting Price
Starting Price After Incentives
Standard
217 mi (350 km)
$30,700 (KRW 42.08 million)
$29,200 (KRW 39.95 million)
Earth
Standard: 217 mi (350 km) Long Range: 311 mi (501 km)
$33,400 (KRW 45.71 million)
N/A
GT Line
Standard: 217 mi (350 km) Long Range: 311 mi (501 km)
$34,100 (KRW 46.66 million)
N/A
Long Range
311 mi (501 km)
$34,100 (KRW 46.66 million)
$32,200 (KRW 44.15)
Kia EV3 price and range by trim in Korea
The long-range model is expected to start at just $32,200 (KRW 44.15 million) after incentives. Following the government’s certification, Kia plans to begin full-scale sales in July.
Based on Hyundai’s E-GMP platform and 4th-gen batteries, the EV3 (Long-Range model) has up to 311 miles (501 km) driving range. The standard EV3 can drive up to 217 miles (350 km).
The Long Range model has an 81.4 kWh battery capacity, while the Standard model has a 58.3 kWh battery.
With a 350 kW charger, the EV3 can charge from 10% to 80% (standard battery) in 29 minutes. The long-range battery takes 31 minutes. The combined fuel efficiency is 5.4 km/kWh for the long-range and 5.2 km/kWh for the standard model.
Kia also launched its “e-Life Package” on Tuesday. The program combines charging, vehicle care, and used-price vehicle guarantees to improve the EV ownership experience.
An invitation event, “EV3 Exclusive Preview,” will be held from June 15th to the 16th for customers to experience Kia’s new electric car.
After the EV3 rolls out, Kia is expected to launch the EV4. It will be Kia’s take on an entry-level electric sedan. The Kia EV4 is expected to launch next year with starting prices around $35,000.
What do you think of Kia’s new EV3? Would you buy it for $30,000? Comment below to let us know your thoughts.
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The all-electric Cadillac LYRIQ was an Electrek favorite when it first made its debut two years ago. Now, LYRIQ buyers who have been waiting for a deal can score more than $10,500 in discounts on the Ultium-based Caddy.
Our own Seth Weintraub said that GM had come in, “a year early and dollar long at $60K” when he first drove the Ultium-based Cadillac LYRIQ back in 2022. He called the SUV “a stunner,” too, heaping praise on the LYRIQ’s styling inside and out before adding that the EV’s ride quality really impressed on long journeys.
Well, if the first mainstream electric Cadillac was a winner at its original, $57,195 starting price (rounded up to $60K for easy math), what could we call it at $10,500 less?
That’s a question that’s suddenly worth asking, thanks to huge GM discounts on the LYRIQ that prompted the automotive pricing analysts at CarsDirect to name the 2024 LYRIQ one of the industry’s “Best New Car Deals” this month:
A slew of incentives can enable you to save big on a 2024 Cadillac LYRIQ. First, EVs eligible for the federal tax credit qualify for $7,500 in Ultium Promise Bonus Cash from GM. Additionally, competing EV owners can score $3,000 in conquest cash.
With more than 100 kWh of battery capacity and 300-plus miles of real-world driving range (plus available 190 kW charging capability) the Cadillac LYRIQ ticks all the boxes – but you don’t have to take just my word for that.
A global shortage of qualified operators is impacting job sites everywhere, precisely at a time when demand for housing, mineral mining, and renewable energy construction is going from peak to peak. That’s why companies from Caterpillar to Tesla to Einride are pushing to advance autonomy the way they are.
First revealed as a concept in 2021, Volvo CE’s CX01 autonomous “single drum” asphalt roller concept has seen continuous development in the years since. Making its Volvo Days debut, the CX01 has shed the original single drum design for a “split drum,” with each half being controlled by an internalized, independent electric motor.
The CX01’s electric motors not only help to propel and steer the roller, they also vibrate the drums individually, using some trick software calibration to effectively “cancel each other out,” delivering all the benefits of vibrating drum rollers without the noise.
It’s so smart, you guys
It’s also worth noting that the CX01 is something of an “extended range” EV, instead of a “pure” BEV. That’s because it uses a small, 1.4L diesel engine to spin a generator that powers not batteries, but capacitors (those blue things, above right). Those capacitors can be charged on grid power (or from an accompanying TC13 trench compactor), but they’re much better than batteries at releasing energy really quickly, enabling the diesel to operate at its maximum efficiency while maintaining extremely precise, high-torque movement from the motors.
Volvo CE engineers envision a team CX01 rollers units deployed on larger job sites that could work together and communicate with other pieces of equipment on the site. The connected equipment could help survey the job site, report on the conditions of the mat (density, temperature, and passes), and leverage AI to determine when and where to compact without the need for human operators.
All of which is great, sure – but they had me at “giant OneWheel.”
Volvo TA15 autonomous electric haul truck
Volvo TA15 autonomous haul truck; photo by the author.
Part of Volvo CE’ “TARA” line of autonomous products, the “production ready” TA15 autonomous electric haul trucks are already part of a number of pilot programs on Volvo customer job sites. Being autonomous, they’re ideally suited to performing repetitive routes, dozens of times per day, without exposing human operators to fatigue or injury.
“TARA enables you to downsize and replace larger diesel-powered vehicles with a fleet of autonomous electric Volvo TA15s capable of running 24/7,” reads the official TARA release. “This not only helps you cut emissions and increase productivity, it will also help you rightsize your machinery and optimize your hauling routes.”
And that brings us to the real topic at hand: sustainability.
Electrek’s Take
Volvo SD110 single drum roller, via Volvo CE.
As we’ve often discussed on The Heavy Equipment Podcast, there are two types of sustainability, and both are important. The first is the “classic” version of sustainability, in that our choices need to sustain the planet and environment we live in. The second is sustainability of the business – the ability to keep doing business in a way that ensures the survival of the business, itself.
Looking at the conventional Volvo SD110 conventional roller, above, you can see the incredible amount of materials – of steel, rubber, plastic, glass, etc. – that simply isn’t needed to produce the CX01 roller we started this article with.
All that added mass has a massive hidden carbon cost. The cost of getting those materials out of the ground, the need for bigger, heavier roads to support the weight of the machine, and the bigger, burlier trucks and trailers needed to transport it. Heck, even the operator’s commute to and from the job site adds to the carbon cost of the SD110, over and above the harmful emissions from its diesel engine’s exhaust stack.
The CX01? It’s objectively more sustainable than the SD110 roller in every way, and does pretty much the same job.
Following successful inbound implementations in the Pacific Northwest, North Carolina, and Mexico, Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) is expanding the reach of its electric semi fleet into Arizona with long-time associate JB Hunt.
JB Hunt will add the new Freightliner eCascadia electric semi to its Arizona fleet immediately, and put it to work delivering aftermarket truck parts from DTNA’s parts distribution center (PDC) in Phoenix to multiple DTNA dealers along a dedicated route.
The electric Freightliner truck is expected to cover approximately 100 miles in a given day before heading “home” to a Detroit eFill charger installed at Daimler’s Phoenix facility.
“This solution with DTNA is a great example of our commitment to supporting customers’ efforts to reduce their carbon footprint and work towards energy transition,” explains Greer Woodruff, executive vice president of safety, sustainability and maintenance at JB Hunt. “JB Hunt owns and operates several eCascadias on behalf of customers, and our drivers have really enjoyed their in-cab experience. As customer interest continues to grow, we are here to enable their pursuit for a more sustainable supply chain in the most economic means possible.”
Daimler is analyzing future expansion opportunities throughout its internal parts distribution and logistics with an eye on electrifing additional routes and further reducing the carbon footprint of its logistics operations.