Kia became the first in the auto industry in the United Kingdom to reach 100,000 electric vehicles sold. Having raised EVs to 30% of all vehicles it currently sells in the U.K., Kia plans to expand its local share through the EV2 and purpose-built vehicle (PBV) PV7.
According to Kia's U.K. subsidiary on the 13th, as of the 1st of this month, Kia's cumulative EV sales in the U.K. totaled 104,794 units. It has been about 12 years since the launch of the small sport-utility vehicle (SUV) Soul EV in Nov. 2014. Among all automakers, including European brands, Kia is the only one in the U.K. to have achieved 100,000 EVs sold.
In the first quarter this year, Kia sold 20,136 vehicles in the U.K. across all types, including internal combustion and electric. Its market share was 5.29%, ranking second after Volkswagen (7.19%). With EV sales growing rapidly, the gap with Volkswagen could narrow.
Kia's EV sales in the U.K. began to stand out in 2021. From 2014 to 2019, annual sales were under 1,000 units, but in 2020, the first-generation Niro EV gained strong popularity, selling 7,426 units, and the following year, led by the EV6, it sold 14,337 EVs.
Since then, with the second-generation Niro EV, the large electric SUV EV9, and a refreshed EV6 gaining traction, Kia continued yearly growth, selling 16,386 units in 2022 and 17,345 in 2023.
In 2024, affected by the EV chasm (temporary demand slowdown), annual sales edged down to 15,479, but last year it rebounded, led by the small electric SUV EV3. It also began preorders for the small electric sedan EV4 and the PV5, and started sales of the EV5. As a result, in 2025 it reached 21,934 units, marking an all-time sales record.
So far in the U.K., Kia's cumulative sales by model are 51,174 for the Niro EV, 20,887 for the EV6, 10,980 for the EV3, and 5,584 for the EV9.
Industry watchers say Kia's decision to expand its lineup in line with growing EV adoption in Europe proved effective. Among vehicles Kia sells in the U.K., there are seven EV models, more than internal combustion (six) and hybrid (four).
Including GT, which denotes high-performance EVs, Kia sells 11 electric models alone. If the EV3 GT, EV4 GT, and EV5 GT, launched in Korea in Feb., are added, Kia's EV models in the U.K. will increase to 14.
Kia expects EV sales in the U.K. to keep rising. The market is gaining momentum after the U.K. government reintroduced a subsidy program last July that discounts up to 10% on new EV purchases priced at £37,000 (about 65.1 million won).
By the end of the first quarter this year, cumulative EV sales in the U.K. reached 137,614 units, up 14.5% from the same period a year earlier (120,191). That exceeds cumulative hybrid sales (91,372). With policies to expand EV subsidies set to continue, some expect EV sales in the U.K. to hit an all-time high this year.
Kia plans to introduce the EV2, developed exclusively for the European market, in the U.K. in the second half of the year. The EV2 is a model that will replace the Niro EV, which has been popular in the U.K. for about eight years. The EV2, unveiled early this month, starts at £24,245 (about 48 million won). It is built at the Slovakia plant and can travel up to 450 km on a single charge.
Next year it will unveil the PV7, a PBV model, and in 2029 it will also launch the PV9, aiming to expand its share in the electric commercial vehicle market.