Kia completes building EV-only manufacturing unit

South Korean automaker Kia has completed building Hyundai Motor Group’s first manufacturing unit dedicated exclusively to electric vehicles, with an annual capacity of 150,000 units.

The South Korean company held a ceremony for the Kia Gwangmyeong EVO Plant, tasked with mass producing Kia’s new EV3 model and the upcoming EV4 model, according to a report by Yonhap news agency.

Kia invested 401.6 billion won (around USD 304 million) in the 60,000 square-meter facility, completely rebuilding it on an existing plant site to facilitate the company’s next-generation vehicle production.

Mass production of the EV3, the brand’s compact all-electric SUV, began in the first half of this year. In the first half of 2025, Kia plans to introduce the EV4, its upcoming mid-sized electric sedan.

The plant’s completion “solidifies Kia’s first step as an EV leader following the company’s brand relaunch in 2021,” Choi Jun-Young, executive vice president and head of domestic production at Kia, said. “With the goal of providing sustainable mobility solutions, we will lead innovation in the EV market and fulfill our responsibilities in helping to deliver a sustainable future.”

Kia set a new record for monthly EV sales per brand in South Korea, with the number of newly registered EVs produced by Kia totaling 6,398 units in August, a 250% jump from last year and a 59% percent surge from the previous month, according to data by auto industry tracker CarIsYou.

The jump in sales is being attributed to the successful market debut of the entry-level EV3 model, which accounted for 4,436 new registrations. 

In August, 13,315 EVs were registered in Korea, up 79.2% from a year ago. Domestic brands accounted for 9,197 of these units. Hyundai sold 2,256 units in August, up 33.2% from last year.

Kia also set another US sales record last month, selling more cars than in any month in its history. With over 75,200 vehicles sold in August, the company broke its US sales record for the second straight month.

Meanwhile, Kia’s EV charging service, Kia Charge, now has over 800,000 charging points across 28 European countries, an increase of 39% from last year, according to a report in Electrek.

“Kia continues to set the benchmark for making electric driving more accessible to a wider range of audience, with Kia Charge helping to simplify and enhance every journey,” Kia Europe’s director of customer experiences and solutions, Martin Enthofer, said.

Kia has launched its charging service in 19 European countries but said customers could use charging points in regions where it has yet to be introduced, the report said.

With the new EV3 rolling out, starting at around USD 40,000 (36,000 euros), Kia expects its EV sales to get a boost in Europe.