Kia’s Tasman unveil offers a glimpse at what an all-electric pickup may look like
Kia has officially unveiled its first pickup truck, the Tasman before it hits global markets. Due to its worldwide availability, Kia will offer the Tasman in several powertrain configurations, including a diesel model. However, the Korean automaker is also developing two new all-electric pickups that will be sold in the US. Today’s images offer a look at what a BEV Kia pickup may look like.
The Tasman is the first-ever pickup truck from Kia set for a global launch in 2025. Per its makers, the truck pushed the boundaries of what a pickup truck can be and will invite customers to “dive into a new dimension.”
Kia began teasing the unveiling of the Tasman earlier this month ahead of the global reveal today during the Jeddah International Motor Show. To begin, this new pickup will launch in Korea with a 281PS 2.5-liter gasoline engine as well as Australia with a 2.2-liter diesel version. Customers in the Middle East and Africa will be able to choose from either configuration.
The ICE versions will be sold in various trims, including Base, X-Line, and X-Pro, with single- and double-cab variations. So why are we talking about gas cars? It’s weird, but it’s because Kia is also working on an all-electric version of the Tasman pickup we saw being tested this past May.
While we await the arrival of Kia’s first all-electric pickup, unveiling the combustion versions of the Tasman offers hints as to what a more sustainable model may look like. Here are some fresh images:
Kia’s first pickup has arrived, but where’s the electric one?
What was interesting about Kia’s press release following the global reveal of the Tasman was that there was no mention of any BEV models. That could be because the news came from Kia Global, not Kia US, so the news pertains to other markets that will see the gas versions.
We’ve known about Kia’s plans for at least two all-electric pickups since 2022 when it shared plans for one dedicated EV model as well as a “strategic model for emerging markets.” At the time, Kia confirmed that “electric versions of these models will be produced locally (in the US) from 2024.”
However, we previously reported a camouflaged version of the Tasman being tested in California, hinting that the combustion version might also make its way to the US. Here’s an image of a camo’d model being tested for comparison to the versions shown above:
Furthermore, Kia was spotted testing an electric pickup in the US over the summer, but it does not appear to be the same design as the Tasman and more closely resembles the EV9. It doesn’t appear that Kia will hit the 2024 production target for the all-electric pickup but there are still two months left to unveil it to the public.
Kia has not yet shared any specs pertaining to the all-electric pickup, but it should be built atop Hyundai Motor Group’s E-GMP platform, which is likely to deliver at least 300 miles of range.
We will learn more as the all-electric pickup nears production and Kia begins sharing details of its performance and other features before sales start in the US. We will closely monitor this one and report back as we learn more.
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On today’s episode of Quick Charge, I, for one, welcome our new insect overlords. I’d like to remind them that, as a trusted media personality, I can be helpful in rounding up others to toil in their underground sugar caves cobalt mines.
We’ve also got the world’s quickest police pursuit vehicle, an Amnesty International report highlighting Tesla and Mercedes’ efforts to improve worker conditions in the Congo, and an exploration of Trump voters’ love for solar power.
Today’s episode is sponsored by BLUETTI, a leading provider of portable power stations, solar generators, and energy storage systems. For a limited time, save up to 50% during BLUETTI’s exclusive Black Friday pre-sale, now through November 11. Learn more by clicking here.
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Read more: Cybertruck dually, overland Kia concepts, and electric Mopars at SEMA.
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Donald Trump will push fossil fuels and undo renewable energy policies, but it ultimately won’t stop clean energy’s momentum.
Trump has always pushed for more oil drilling and fewer regulations, left the Paris Agreement in his first term as president, says he hates “windmills,” promised to scrap offshore wind on “day one” if he won the 2024 election, and calls climate change a “scam.” And now that he’s won, this is a direct threat to the US’s pledge to reach net zero by 2050. After all, federal policy directly impacts the pace of renewable energy growth, especially when it comes to incentives and research funding.
The Biden administration’s groundbreaking Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which has spurred a clean energy boom, will be challenged under Trump. Because Republican states have received 80% of the IRA’s money with which they’ve built factories and created thousands of jobs, a complete IRA repeal is unlikely. What’s more probable is that the Republicans phase out tax credits earlier than planned or cap overall funding.
Federal financial support for innovative technologies and projects could also take a hit. Brendan Bell, COO of Aligned Climate Capital, who formerly led the US Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office, told Electrek:
My partner Peter and I led the DOE Loan Program Office under President Obama. We supported the first utility-scale solar and storage projects, as well as early EV investments – including the first loan to Tesla.
Today, these technologies are commercialized and are propelling the clean energy transition. None of it would have been possible if these programs had been cut off 10 years ago.
Put simply, Trump can’t turn back the tide of clean energy – but he could delay tomorrow’s solutions and the birth of new industries.
BloombergNEF’s “2H 2024 US Clean Energy Market Outlook,” released at the end of October, examined the worst-case scenario, where control of both the Senate and the House leads to a full repeal of the IRA tax credits:
The wind, solar, and energy storage sectors jointly see a 17% drop in total new capacity additions over 2025-2035, with 927 gigawatts (GW) of cumulative build compared to 1,118GW in BNEF’s base case forecast. Wind sees the greatest fall in activity in this scenario with a 35% drop, followed by energy storage at 15% and solar at 13% relative to BNEF’s base case.
That’s a blow we can’t afford at a time when we need to reduce emissions by 50% from 2005 levels by 2030 to avoid climate disasters becoming even worse than they already are.
But all is not lost. The clean energy market isn’t solely driven by federal policy. Over the last decade, solar, wind, and EVs have become more cost-competitive and popular. State policies play a huge role too, and many states are committed to their own clean energy goals regardless of who sits in the White House. States like California, New York, and Washington have ambitious targets to combat climate change, and deep red Texas is No. 1 in the US for both solar and wind.
Corporations are also key players. Companies like Amazon, Google, and Walmart have committed to going 100% renewable, and they’re not about to reverse course. This demand keeps the market for renewables strong. Plus, there’s significant public support for clean energy jobs, and renewables create more employment opportunities than fossil fuels in many regions of the country.
JD Dillon, chief marketing officer of California-based solar tech manufacturer Tigo Energy (Nasdaq: TYGO), said to Electrek, “The march toward renewable clean energy is both inevitable and the right thing to do. In a perfect world, we would eliminate partisanship from the renewable energy conversation because everyone benefits from a cleaner environment and affordable energy. Unfortunately, none of us live in said perfect world.”
The US clean energy sector may slow down, but it’s hard to stop a train that has already left the station. What consequences this slower-moving train will have for the US and the world remains to be seen.
Read more: Trump says he’ll end the EV mandate. The only problem: there isn’t one.
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The world’s largest EV battery maker is advancing a new type of battery, promising higher energy density. According to a new local report, CATL is investing heavily while ramping up its workforce to bring all-solid-state EV batteries to market.
With trial production reportedly kicking off, we could see CATL launch all-solid-state EV batteries sooner than expected.
According to a new local report from LatePost (via CnEVPost), CATL has entered the trial production phase of 20 Ah samples. The news comes after the EV battery giant added over 1,000 workers to its R&D team this year.
The report claimed that CATL is now focused on the final Sulfide phase and has already commenced trial production of 20 Ah samples.
The company’s solution has an energy density of up to 500 Wh/kg for lithium ternary batteries, 40% more than current batteries. However, the report said charging speed and cycle life are not quite where they need to be.
At 20 Ah, the battery solution is finalized and ready for its next stage, production tech exploration.
CATL is advancing all-solid-state EV batteries
The report says after that it’s mainly manufacturing hurdles, that can be overcome with a bigger workforce.
In April, CATL’s chief scientist, Wu Kai, announced that the company had developed a verification platform for 10 Ah all-solid-state EV battery cells. Wu also said CATL aimed to produce all-solid-state EV batteries in small volumes in 2027, the first time the news was made public.
In September, the company’s chairman, Robin Zeng, said CATL’s research into the new battery tech was “second to none.”
Several companies, including Toyota, Mercedes-Benz, Stellantis, and others, are betting on solid-state EV batteries as the future.
According to data from CnEVPost, CATL is dominating the global EV battery market with a 36.7% share through September 2024.
China’s BYD is second with a 16.4% share of the market. BYD is also planning to launch solid-state batteries. At the September 2024 World New Energy Congress, BYD’s head scientist and engineer, Lian Yubo, said solid-state EV batteries could be widely used in five years.
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