Kia Hints at Plug-in Hybrids With 100 km of EV Range
While Hyundai seems to be moving away from conventional plug-in hybrids (the new Santa Fe is no longer available as a PHEV, remember) and turning to EVs with range extenders in the future, that’s not what its sister company Kia is doing. In fact, better PHEVs are on the way.
With technological advancements in high-voltage batteries and modular platforms, PHEVs with around 100 km of zero-emission range might come in “a couple of years,” Kia America COO Steven Center told Green Car Reports at the Los Angeles Auto Show.
The Korean brand, of course, is still planning an onslaught of pure electric models led by the upcoming 2026 EV3, not to mention the updated 2025 EV6 and high-performance 2026 EV9 GT that were introduced in L.A. just days ago.
However, Kia executives are well aware that not all drivers will find what they need in those vehicles and how critical it is to offer compelling hybrid and plug-in hybrid alternatives.
Right now, the Niro PHEV and Sportage PHEV both enable up to 55 km of zero-emission range, which is good but not industry-leading. The latest Sorento PHEV offers 48 km, making it ineligible to the full iZEV rebate from the Canadian government. Pushing these models (or others) to around 100 km would allow Kia to attract even more customers.
That kind of range would be ample enough for daily commutes (the average North American driver travels less than 70 km a day, according to various studies), possibly even in winter, too.
For the record, the PHEV models with the longest EV range in Canada at the moment are luxury SUVs from Mercedes-Benz (GLC 350e and GLE 450e) and JLR (Range Rover P550e and Range Rover Sport P550e/P460e). All of them can cover 80 km or more with a full charge in ideal conditions.
