EV6, Kia’s first dedicated electric vehicle, will be available in the Philippine market in the first quarter next year at less than P4 million a unit, according to Kia Philippines President Manny Aligada.
The battery electric vehicle (BEV) EV6 debuted at the 8TH Philippine International Motor Show (PIMS) on Thursday, Sept. 15, along with other Kia models, and concept cars, and production car models of other automotive assemblers.
This makes the Philippines the fourth country in South East Asia to unveil the pure EV model. The launch of EV6 also makes Kia as the only brand to introduce a pure battery electric vehicle (BEV) among the automotive brands distributed by the Ayala conglomerate in the country.
Hopefully, Aligada said the Philippines and Korea could already implement the bilateral free trade agreement (FTA) in January next year as it could mean zero duty on imported completely built up units (CBUs) from Korea, including the EV6. At present, imported CBUs from Korea are slapped with 5 percent tariff.
The Philippines and South Korea began FTA negotiations in June 2019 and concluded in October 2021. Both parties are expected to sign the trade deal in November this year.
Aligada, however, said that importation of the EV6 will proceed with or without the FTA. “That is why we are praying that the foreign exchange rate will be maintained as we will be ready for importation early next year,” said Aligada, adding that the peso depreciation will also factor in the final price of EV6.
The company will continue to review the price, but definitely, he said, “the EV6 will be sold at less than P4 million.”
Already, Kia Philippines has started to entertain several inquiries for reservation. As the model debuts at the ongoing PIMS, Aligada said it would attract more interest from buyers.
While it is difficult to set sales target yet, Aligada is optimistic EV6 could be supported by the EV infrastructure being put in place in the country.
Kia has also partnered with another Ayala-owned company IMI, an electronics firm which is manufacturing electric vehicle charging stations.
Ayala Land Inc., the property arm of the Ayala Group, is also planning to rollout its charging stations in their developments.
Charging options of the EV6 in the Philippines are as follows: through the Kia In Cable Control Box (ICCB) charger that comes with the vehicle; a home wall-mounted charger that can be purchased and installed by our affiliate, Greenstrum; and the growing number of malls and establishments that offer EV charging stations with Type 2/CCS2 protocol.
In addition, Aligada said, buyers would be encouraged by the excellent features of EV6.
“We are looking at a good number of buyers because this can be an everyday vehicle because EV6 is one of the longest run among EV models in the local market and with the expanding charging station network, there will be higher acceptance,” he said.
“As a 5-seater EV, this is good enough to be your everyday car in the metropolis,” he added.
From the specifications standpoint, he said, EV6 offers more in terms of reach and features.
The EV6 GT-Line offers a fully-electric, zero-emission powertrain configuration with a long-range (77.4 kWh) high-voltage battery pack.The EV6 can travel more than 500 kilometers on a single charge (based on EPA rating). With maximum 350Nm torque, the EV6 can accelerate from 0-to-100kph in 7.3 seconds. The 77.4 kWh battery pack is paired with a 168 kW (229ps) electric motor powering the rear wheels.
EV6 will compete against Nissan Leaf, a sedan at P2.9 million, and other BEV models of Audi and Porsche, and certain Chinese brands.
Joey Hong, head of sales Kia Asia Pacific, said at the launch of EV6 at the opening of the 8th PIMS that this move “symbolizes Kia’s long-term commitment to a sustainable mobility.”
“Together with many upcoming electric models which we will introduce to the market, we are ready to begin a whole new journey for a better future,” said Hong.
The new Kia movement was launched locally in the 4th quarter of 2021 with the reveal of the brand’s new logo and tagline. The momentum has continued throughout 2022 with the opening of several new dealerships. This rapid nationwide expansion takes the Kia brand a step closer to its target of having 50 operational and appointed dealerships by the end of next year.
Kia also achieved a 76 percent increase in sales in 2021 versus 2020. And for the first half of this year, Kia has positioned itself as one of the fastest-growing car brands in the country, with a 30 percent year-on-year performance and is on target for continuous achievement until the end of 2022.