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2020 has proven that electric vehicles are the future of transportation
2020 saw explosive growth in the automotive industry’s EV segment, with nearly every major manufacturer and brand group announcing, unveiling or debuting new and upcoming electric vehicles. Tesla managed to retain its position at the head of the market this year but its lead over rivals is shrinking as automotive stalwarts like GM, Fiat Chrysler, Hyundai Motor Group and the Volkswagen Group all jump into the EV fray. 2020 saw more than just new EV models, though: The battery technologies that power them and the transportation infrastructure that leverages them enjoyed some impressive advancements of their own.
Hyundai reveals the EV platform for its future vehicles
The Hyundai Motor Group unveiled its "E-GMP" battery electric vehicle platform -- the basis for nearly two dozen upcoming Kia, Genesis and Hyundai EV models.
Consumer Reports study finds reliability issues with some EVs
It will no longer recommend certain EVs from Audi, Kia and Porsche.
Kia's future EVs will sport extra-fast 800V charging
Kia's next wave of electric cars will include ones with speedy 800V charging, and not just the top-of-the-line cars.
Kia will release a production version of its Imagine EV in 2021
Kia's Imagine EV won't remain a concept for too much longer. European operations chief Emilio Herrera told Automotive News in an interview that a production version of the crossover should arrive in 2021. He didn't say how the street-going car would differ, although we'd expect it to be wildly toned down compared to the version that debuted in Geneva. Those 21 displays, the aircraft-style steering column and giant wheels likely aren't long for this world.
Hyundai's electric scooter prototype is built for 'last mile' rides
Hyundai teased prospects of its own electric scooter back at CES 2017, but it's now showing that it's much more committed to the concept in 2019. The automaker has unveiled a foldable e-scooter prototype intended for "last mile" rides when a car is impractical. It would perform about as well as Audi's E-Tron Scooter with a 12.4-mile range and a 12.4MPH top speed, but it's explicitly designed to integrate with Hyundai and Kia cars. You could even mount it in an EV and recharge through electricity produced while driving.
The Kia Telluride is surprisingly high-tech and stylish (for a Kia)
For better or worse, automakers are categorized. BMW makes luxury cars, and Honda makes cars that last forever. Porsche builds cars that go fast while the driver wears black driving gloves. As for Kia, it's been placed in the "cheap, small car" bucket. The Telluride should change all that.
Kia made a tiny Faraday cage to protect your wireless key from thieves
Many existing keyless entry systems aren't secure, but few people are likely to replace their cars just to reduce the chances of a determined thief making off with their ride. Kia UK has an official stopgap solution, though. It's taking a cue from third parties and releasing KiaSafe, a case that serves as a minuscule Faraday cage to block the key's wireless signals. There's nothing particularly special to it -- it's ultimately a metal-lined pouch -- but that's all might you need to prevent someone from swiping your car while you're asleep.
The Kia Niro EV is relentlessly sensible
The EV market is growing. More people are realizing that the majority of their drives don't stray far from the cities or towns they live in. While a robust charging infrastructure still isn't in place (unless you own a Tesla), topping up the battery at home and at work is typically enough to keep an electric vehicle on the road without range anxiety creeping in.
Kia's HabaNiro 'everything car' is the wackiest EV crossover
Kia spent its entire press conference talking about the spiciness of its brand. Spoiler: it's very spicy according to Kia. But they're not exactly wrong. After showing a drift version of the exciting Stinger the automaker took the wraps off an EV concept where all the doors open up like a supercar.
Kia crammed a lot of range and tech into its Soul EV
Kia and sister brand Hyundai have already introduced two electrified vehicles in the past year. The Hyundai Kona EV and Kia Niro EV are both great vehicles that belong to the largest automotive growth segment: the small SUV, aka crossover. So it's no surprise that Kia has upgraded the electric Soul with longer range, upgraded tech and a design that looks like it was pulled from The Empire Strikes Back. It should be no surprise to folks who have driven the gas-powered version of this vehicle that the electric edition is also great.
Kia and Amazon team up to make charging EVs at home easier
Amazon's latest partnership with Kia could sway those weighing whether to take the plunge on an electric vehicle. Kia electric vehicle buyers can now order at-home charging units and schedule home installation through Amazon. The South Korean automaker becomes the second to partner with Amazon to sell electric charging stations, joining Audi which came onboard last year.
Kia goes wild with displays on its 'Imagine' concept EV
Kia threw around words like "emotion" and "surprise" to describe its latest concept EV, but the first thing I felt when seeing it was "confusion." On the outside, "Imagine by Kia" is a handsome, muscular C-class crossover that, if anything, is a bit conservative for a concept car. Inside, however, the interior fried my brain with its faceted seats, mirrored surface and bizarre array of 21 angled screens on the dashboard.
What to expect from the Geneva Motor Show 2019
The Geneva Motor Show is about to begin and this year the focus will be electrification. From Audi to Volkswagen, the halls of the Palexpo will be filled the future of passenger transportation.
Kia's 2019 Niro EV is an electric crossover for the people
It was bound to happen to EVs eventually. No matter how mind-blowingly, world-changingly incredible an idea starts out, it will invariably reach the realm of the mundane before too long. Just look at smartphones, maglev trains and avocado toast. But that's not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, it's that vanillaness, that no-nonsense lack of flair, that makes the Kia Niro EV so great. I'll tell you right now: it's not going to turn heads (even when I honked), nor is it going to smoke sports cars off the starting line (unless you have a head start). What it is going to to do is get you, your friends and all of your gear where you're going in relative comfort and safety without stomping all over your budget.
Kia AI tailors vehicle interiors to passengers’ emotions
Kia is preparing for a future with autonomous cars and at CES it will be showing off its Real-time Emotion Adaptive Driving System, or R.E.A.D. The company says its AI-based system can adapt vehicle interiors to a passenger's emotional state by using sensors to monitor their facial expressions, heart rate and electrodermal activity. Based on its readings, the R.E.A.D. System personalizes the cabin interior, taking into account all five senses. Part of the system also includes music-response vibration seats, which match seat vibrations to the frequencies of whatever music is being played in the cabin. The seats can also provide massages and haptic alerts connected to the vehicle's driver-assist system.
Hyundai imagines a future where EVs can charge themselves
Automakers and other companies are planning to ramp up charger installations to keep up with the increasing interest in electric vehicles. But if they can't keep up with growing EV sales, overcrowding at public charging stations could become an enormous problem -- especially since (as CNET noted) people tend to leave their cars plugged in while they wander off instead of monitoring them and unplugging as soon as they're done. Hyundai and Kia believe the solution to that problem is a system that can automatically guide an EV to a wireless charging station and then drive it away as soon as it's fully charged.
2018 brought the electric car to everyone
It's easy to look at a luxury automaker like Jaguar and declare 2018 the year the automotive industry caught up with Tesla. But like the Model X and Model S, the I-Pace is out of reach for most folks. It's great that people with large bank accounts can get behind the wheel of a vehicle that runs on electrons instead of dead dinosaurs. What's better is that 2018 showed that the rest of us can do the same thing.
Up close with Kia's 2020 Niro and Soul EVs
Kia was not messing around at its LA Auto Show press conference on Wednesday, rolling out vehicle updates and new models left and right.
Hyundai and Kia will outfit their cars with solar panels
Solar panels on cars aren't just reserved for luxury brands or experimental vehicles. Hyundai and Kia have laid out plans to equip "selected" cars with solar panels on their roofs or hoods. They'll help charge batteries for electric vehicles and hybrids, but they'll also be useful for combustion-only vehicles. You won't have to settle for solar panels blocking your view of the sky above, either.
