The EV6, Kia’s first dedicated electric vehicle, will be available in the Philippine market in the first quarter of next year for less than 4 million pesos per unit, according to Kia Philippines President Manny Aligada.
Information below is from Autofun Philippines.The battery electric vehicle EV6 (BEV) made its debut at the 8th Philippine International Motor Show (PIMS) on Thursday, September 15, along with Kia models, concept cars and other vehicles. other car production and assembly models.
This makes the Philippines the fourth country in Southeast Asia to launch a pure electric vehicle. The launch of the EV6 also makes Kia the only brand to introduce pure electric vehicles (BEVs) among the auto brands distributed by the Ayala group in the country. Hope Aligada said the Philippines and South Korea were able to implement a bilateral Free Trade Agreement (FTA) in January next year as it could mean no tax on imported complete units (CBUs). imported from Korea, including the EV6. Currently, CBU imports from Korea are subject to a 5% customs duty.
The Philippines and South Korea began negotiations on an FTA in June 2019 and concluded in October 2021. The two sides are expected to sign a trade agreement in November this year.
However, Aligada said EV6 imports will continue with or without an FTA. “That’s why we are praying for the exchange rate to be maintained as we will be ready for imports early next year,” Aligada said, adding that the depreciation of the currency would be the same. pesos will also impact the EV6’s end price.
The company will continue to review the price, but it is certain that, “the EV6 will be sold for less than 4 million pesos”.
Kia Philippines has started to receive some pre-orders. As the model’s debut at PIMS gets underway, Aligada says it will attract more interest from buyers.
Although it is still difficult to set sales targets, Aligada is optimistic that the EV6 can be supported by the EV infrastructure in Vietnam.
Kia has also partnered with another Ayala-owned company, IMI, an electronics company that makes charging stations for electric vehicles. Ayala Land Inc., the real estate arm of the Ayala Group, also plans to implement charging stations during their development.
The EV6 charging options in the Philippines are as follows:
via the Kia In Cable Control Box (ICCB) charger supplied with the vehicle; a home wall charger that can be purchased and installed by our affiliate, Greenstrum; and more and more shopping malls and establishments provide electric vehicle charging stations with Type 2/CCS2 protocol.
In addition, Aligada says, buyers will be encouraged by the EV6’s excellent specs.
They envision a large number of buyers as it could be an everyday vehicle as the EV6 is one of the longest running EV models in the local market and with the expansion of the charging station network, adoption will be high. more, he said.
As a 5-seater electric vehicle, it’s good enough to be your everyday car in the city, he added.
In terms of specs, the EV6 offers more in terms of range and features, he said. The EV6 GT-Line offers a zero-emission all-electric powertrain configuration with a long-range high-voltage battery (77.4 kWh). EV6 can travel more than 500 km on a single charge (according to EPA classification). With a maximum torque of 350 Nm, the EV6 can accelerate from 0 to 100 km / h in 7.3 seconds. A 77.4 kWh battery pack is paired with a 168 kW (229 hp) electric motor powering the rear wheels.
The EV6 will compete with the Nissan Leaf, a 2.9 million peso sedan, and other BEV models from Audi and Porsche, and several Chinese brands.
Joey Hong, Kia Sales Manager Asia Pacific, said at the EV6 launch at the 8th PIMS opening ceremony that the move “symbolizes Kia’s longstanding commitment to mobility.” sustainable transition”.
With more electric vehicle models coming to market soon, his team is ready to embark on a whole new journey for a brighter future,” said Mr. Hong.
The new Kia movement was launched locally in Q4 2021 with the unveiling of the brand’s new logo and tagline. The momentum continues throughout 2022 with the opening of several new dealerships. This rapid nationwide expansion brings the Kia brand closer to its goal of having 50 authorized dealers up and running by the end of next year.
Kia also posted a 76% increase in sales in 2021 compared to 2020. And in the first half of this year, Kia has positioned itself as one of the fastest-growing auto brands in the country, with a 30% increase in sales compared to 2020. same period last year. . and is on track to resume deliveries until the end of 2022.
