The all-new Kia Tasman debuted last October as that brand’s very first pickup of any kind, as well as a direct rival for the Ford Ranger in the global markets where both are sold. However, the Tasman won’t be sold in the U.S., but instead, is offered in markets including Australia, Korea, and specific emerging markets. Kia is aiming to sell around 80,000 units of the Tasman in those markets annually – achieving a six percent market share, too. Now, however, Kia has announced that it’s developing a new all-electric pickup that will be sold in North America, too.
Kia revealed that it plans to introduce an EV pickup riding on a brand new platform “designed for both urban and outdoor use” in North America soon, in fact. It says that the new EV pickup will offer customers “best-in-class interior and cargo space, a robust towing system, off-road capabilities, and advanced infotainment and safety features,” and it’s targeting annual sales of 90,000 units of that model, good for a seven percent market share.
It’s unclear what this new EV pickup will be called, nor what size class it will compete in, but this information was lumped right in with news regarding the Tasman, meaning that we could assume it’ll be a mid-size hauler at the very least – one that may or may not bear the Tasman nameplate. We also know that General Motors and Hyundai – the parent company of Kia – signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding agreement recently with the intentions of exploring future collaborations across key strategic areas, which could include Hyundai getting a mid-size pickup from GM that it would rebadge and sell in the U.S.
Either way, that would make this new Kia pickup a direct rival for FoMoCo’s under-development all-electric mid-size pickup riding on its new low-cost platform, which may or may not wear the Ford Ranger badge. Ford CEO Jim Farley previously stated that the Ranger needs to be “future-proofed,” lending more credence to that notion, and he also believes that smaller pickups and crossovers are the “sweet spot” for EVs in general. The Ranger will face its fair share of new competition moving forward, however, as Stellantis is also working on a mid-size pickup of its own.
Comment
That is the ugliest pickup truck I’ve ever seen in my life! What are they thinking? Besides that, EV pickups are not popular to start with. That’s why they usually make them more attractive looking than their gas counterparts.