Kia continues to raise the bar for EV endurance for standard-performance models with the EV4, the company’s latest all-electric compact model. Designed with durability in mind, the EV4 features innovations that ensure stable performance over long distances, challenging climates, and extended use.
The EV4’s endurance can mostly be attributed to Kia’s fourth-generation battery system. The system combines advanced thermal management with optimised coolant distribution over all cell units. These enhancements ensure that the battery operates within safe temperature levels, even under high-stress conditions. By doing so, the system ultimately extends battery life and maintains consistent performance.
Following comprehensive endurance trials, including a 110,000-kilometre European road durability test and a 10,000-kilometre Nürburgring campaign simulating 90-to-95% of the model’s maximum performance output, the EV4 showed minimal wear and sustained battery efficiency. Repeated hypercharging sessions between laps at the Nürburgring added to the potential strain on the battery system. However, the EV4 maintained impressive performance throughout.
“To provide our customers a reliable, everyday EV, we had to validate the EV4’s durability both in real-world and extreme environments,” said Stephan Hoferer, Manager Durability Development at Hyundai Motor Europe Technical Center. “With the rigorous testing – from icy roads to racetracks, we’re confident the EV4 will deliver dependable performance well beyond everyday needs.”
Engineers confirmed a battery State-of-Health (SoH) of 95% after 10,000 kilometres of track testing and 110,000 kilometres of road testing, Kia’s extensive endurance testing programme proves the EV4 as a reliable, high-endurance EV for customers looking for confidence during long-term ownership.
On top of its battery performance, the EV4 benefits from regenerative braking. The system improves long-term efficiency by reducing battery strain and recapturing up to 25% of energy during deceleration. Thanks to its robust design and intelligent energy management, the EV4 is guaranteed to retain at least 70% of its battery capacity after 160,000 kilometres driven or eight years of regular use.
Kia Corporation’s 2025 Kia EV Day will take place later this month at Tarraco Arena in Tarragona, Spain. The event follows the first Kia EV Day in Korea in 2023 and will showcase the brand’s latest electric models, concepts, and technologies to advance Kia’s global EV leadership in sustainable mobility.
The second Kia EV day will also underscore Kia’s role as a Platform Beyond Vehicle (PBV) first mover. It presents a vision of a new paradigm in EV usability with vehicles that offer users exceptional flexibility through radical modularity.
Kia’s 2025 EV Day will mark the global debut of the Kia EV4, unveiled in concept form at the brand’s first EV Day, and the Kia PV5, the first of Kia’s dedicated PBV model, displayed as a concept at the 2024 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. Kia will also present the Concept EV2, a compact EV and the newest member of its dedicated EV model family.
Teaser images and video footage that hint at the concept’s styling, along with close-ups of the new models, offer a preview of Kia’s innovative design approach. Each vehicle showcases aesthetics inspired by Kia’s Opposites United design philosophy, with the visual assets offering a glimpse into the unique characteristics of the Kia EV4, PV5, and Concept EV2.
These three models represent Kia’s bold new electric vehicle strategy. The Kia EV4, Kia PV5, and Kia Concept EV2 feature the brand’s cutting-edge electric platform technology and demonstrate Kia’s clear determination to lead global sustainable mobility in the passenger and business sectors to satisfy customers’ diverse needs everywhere.
Kia will share its overall PBV strategy, providing full details of the business, vision, product line-up, and launch to support the roll-out of the PV5. In addition, the company will also display its game-changing PBV platform. This dedicated battery electric skateboard architecture underpins the brand’s new PBV business by enabling the flexible combination of various types of vehicle bodies.
Key members of Kia’s senior leadership team will take to the stage throughout Kia EV Day. In addition to presenting the EV4, PV5 and Concept EV2, the leadership team will also reveal Kia’s expanded electrification strategy, which is set to transform the global EV market. The event video will be released on the Kia Worldwide YouTube channel in March.
The Kia EV3 has arrived to redefine the compact electric SUV market, with a segment-leading range of up to 375 miles on a single charge and an innovative interior design that optimises space, comfort and accessibility. Kia’s first dedicated electric compact SUV is ready for all European journeys and lifestyles, and sets a new benchmark for design, efficiency and performance in a high-demand market segment.
The Kia EV3 leverages the premium-level technologies of the EV6 and EV9, both multi-award-winning vehicles, in a compact, efficient, spacious, and comfortable car. The EV3 can adapt to every lifestyle and has the flexibility and affordability to be the main car of the household. Following extensive testing in Europe in all driving conditions, the model is proven to perform equally well on highways, city streets, winding roads, and long journeys. This testing also included validation of range and charging, with the EV3 confirmed as one of the most efficient EVs on the market.
“The Kia EV3 is an amazingly versatile vehicle, built and designed to accommodate the diverse needs and distinctive lifestyles of customers across Europe,” said Marc Hedrich, President & CEO of Kia Europe. “It also shows how a high-volume EV can be part of a broad ecosystem that includes in-car payments, over-the-air updates, bi-directional charging, digital upgrades and much more, to make driving more convenient than ever before.”
Built on Kia’s dedicated EV architecture, the Electric-Global Modular Platform (E-GMP), the EV3 is designed to prioritise the driving and ownership experience while making EVs available to a wider range of customers. It is part of Kia’s strategy to have 11 electric vehicles on the market by 2026, expanding to 15 models by 2027, with a fully electric product line-up in Europe by 2035.
The 375-mile range of the EV3 goes up to 479 miles when the vehicle is used purely in city driving situations. This is supported by i-Pedal technology and a Regenerative Braking System that offers the driver more flexibility and control by separating the level of regenerative braking from the full stopping control function. Full one-pedal driving can be used in all regenerative braking modes, as well as in reverse. The system also remembers the previously selected level when the vehicle is turned off, and automatically applies it when the vehicle is turned on again.
The efficiency and performance of the EV3 is aided by active air flap technology and a boat-tail shape, to improve aerodynamics. The drag coefficient of just 0.263 helps to reduce power consumption and increase the range. Extensive wind tunnel testing enabled Kia engineers to hone the EV3’s aerodynamic performance, including optimising the wheel shapes and enhancing the rear combination lamps. There are also new side sill undercovers, along with eight parts covering the underbody, for cleaner underfloor airflow and reduced drag.
Also helping drivers extend the range is the Driving Range Guide. Located in the instrument cluster, it displays the maximum and minimum driving ranges achievable depending on driving style, and an estimated range based on past driving efficiency.
400V fast charging technology enables the EV3 to go from 10-to-80% in 29 minutes for the 58.3 kWh battery version, and 31 minutes for the 81.4 kWh version. Up to 125 miles of range can be added in just 15 minutes. A stable charging power profile, combined with excellent efficiency, makes the EV3 one of the leading EVs for mile-per-minute charging in its segment. Fully compatible with European charging infrastructure, the EV3 is supported by Kia Charge, the brand’s network that offers access to more than 800,000 charging points in 28 European countries.
Kia is one of the leading manufacturers to bring Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) charging to the compact EV SUV segment. This feature enables the car to power external devices and allows customers to maximise the EV3’s accessibility. Every EV3 is also capable of bi-directional charging, including Vehicle-to-Grid, Vehicle-to-Home, and Vehicle-to-Building, which will gradually be introduced across European markets.
The EV3 features the world’s first highly efficient and super-compact thin HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning) system that delivers consistent cabin comfort in all weather conditions, maximising comfort, and minimising power usage, without compromising range. The cleverly packaged system gives front-seat passengers an extra six centimetres of room in the footwell when compared with a conventional HVAC system. The highly efficient thermal management system, now in its fourth generation, improves heat pump performance, simultaneously absorbing outside air heat and driving heat (from powertrain components, for instance).
The EV3’s driving dynamics have been developed and tuned to meet the high expectations of European customers in terms of ride, handling, and steering. Even before the first test car was assembled, the EV3 went through an extensive virtual development, with hundreds of different setups tested on an advanced dynamic driving simulator. The resulting optimal geometries and compliances were then released for Kia’s European engineers to fine-tune the vehicle on European roads. The steering has been also specifically tuned for European driving conditions, with a focus on precision and linearity, enabling the EV3 to easily handle suburban curvy roads, city streets and motorways.
The vehicle’s suite of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems, including Highway Driving Assist 2, Smart Cruise Control 2, and collision prevention systems, have also been extensively tested on European roads.
The EV3’s spacious interior provides a ‘living room’ feel, with an array of usability features designed to make every journey comfortable and convenient. The clean, uncluttered dashboard has a triple-screen panoramic display. This combines a 12.3-inch touchscreen navigation screen and a 12.3-inch driver display screen, sandwiching a 5.3-inch segment display for climate control. A 12.3-inch head-up display puts all the necessary information within the driver’s eye line. As in the EV9, the EV3 achieves an excellent balance between touch and tactile controls for interior functions that help to minimise driver distraction.
Debuting on the EV3 is Kia In-Car Payment expanding the capability of the vehicle for in-car payments. The first partnership available is with Parkopedia, which will help drivers locate available parking and pay for it through the vehicle’s navigation screen. In-Car Payment’s convenience for drivers is part of Kia’s commitment to enhancing the driving experience and improving customer satisfaction across all touchpoints of a journey.
The EV3 offers the future of connectivity with over-the-air updates, video streaming capability4, features on demand via the Kia Connect Store and a Digital Key 2.0 that enables up to 7 customers to unlock and start the vehicle using a smartphone or smartwatch. It is also the first Kia vehicle that will feature Kia’s AI Assistant with ChatGPT that helps enhance the customer’s understanding, knowledge, and enjoyment of the vehicle4.
The EV3 incorporates the brand’s ‘Opposites United’ design philosophy that harnesses the creative tension generated by the divergent values of nature and modernity to deliver a harmonious whole. Inside and out, the EV3 balances emotional and rational elements, representing the ‘Joy for Reason’ design pillar.
The unique interior ‘living space’ features relaxation seats, clever storage solutions, sliding tables, expansive head and legroom, intelligent mood lighting, and nature-inspired colours to enhance the well-being of drivers and passengers on every journey. The seats include mesh-like headrests on ‘GT-Line’ and ‘GT-Line S’ variants for better ventilation and comfort.
The EV3, among many innovations, includes a new optional limited edition trunk liner, featuring a geometric wave reminiscent of waves and trash flowing into a net. The accessory is made from recycled materials, 40% of it recycled ocean plastic from the Pacific Ocean collected as part of the cooperation with The Ocean Cleanup. The seven-year partnership aims to find innovative solutions and contribute to a cleaner, healthier planet, enabling the removal of almost half a million kilogrammes of plastic from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. The trunk liner is the first application developed through this partnership.
In addition, every EV3 features Kia’s 10 ‘must-have’ sustainable material solutions, such as bioplastics, recycled PET fabrics, and BTX-free paint. As part of its long-term sustainability strategy, Kia is aiming to have 20% of the plastics used in its vehicles come from recycled sources by 2030.
The EV3 is now available in Europe, and is on sale in the UK. In future Kia plans to introduce an all-wheel drive (AWD) variant, expanding the range of choice for customers beyond the current two-wheel drive (2WD) models
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