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- Kia EV Truck: Here's Everything We Know So Far About the New Electric Pickup
- Will the Kia electric pickup truck succeed in the US?
If you're considering an electric vehicle, but still need room to haul things, there's a new Kia electric vehicle coming to North America that you may want to consider. The plucky Kia Tasman truck last year had a polarizing design, but it was still considered a success. Now, Kia is celebrating by releasing a second pickup truck.
Details are fairly slim right now, but some conclusions can be drawn from the company. "Kia plans to introduce an EV pickup truck based on a new EV platform designed for both urban and outdoor use," the company said in April. "The vehicle will feature best-in-class interior and cargo space, a robust towing system, off-road capabilities and advanced infotainment and safety features."
The inclusion of off-road capabilities would set the EV apart from the Hyundai Santa Fe, which is the only pickup truck that Kia or its sister company sells in the US. It'll be on a new EV platform, so it will also be set apart from the company's current EV offerings, like the Kia EV6. The infotainment will likely be similar to current Kia EVs and vehicles like the dual-display technology in the more recent Sportage SUV. Kia last week also showcased its more affordable EV sedan, with CNET on hand to see the latest 2026 Kia EV4.
Will the Kia electric pickup truck succeed in the US?
Per the statement, Kia is expecting to sell roughly 90,000 of these new EV pickups per year, a lofty goal in a market where the Ford F-150 Lightning is barely hitting 30,000 units sold. By most accounts, it's an ambitious sales goal to hit for a vehicle that'll represent Kia's first attempt at appeasing the US truck buyer market. However, there is still room for optimism.
"The models built on the eGMP line sold over 100,000 units in 2024," said Liz Najman, director of market insights at Recurrent, a company that offers independent insights on EV performance. "Moreover, like the EV6, Kia pickups will likely be made in the US, helping avoid costly tariffs that will drive up prices for consumers. It is likely that price will be a major factor for consumers in the coming years."
Najman also said trucks were the two top-selling vehicles in 2024, so it's possible Kia can reach these sales goals, provided that the automaker can hit that sweet spot of competitive pricing and capability. "Electric vehicles are seeing strong sales numbers when they deliver on what customers want," she said, highlighting that with electric car sales, the Ford Mustang Mach-E and the Jeep Wrangler PHEV each sold over 50,000 units in 2024 and the Tesla Model 3 and the Model Y sold over 150,000 and 370,000 units, respectively.
