Kia America reports 70,930 vehicle sales in the United States in July (up 14 percent year-over-year), which is the twelfth consecutive year-over-year increase. During the first seven months of the year, the South Korean brand sold 465,263 vehicles in the country, which is 18 percent more than a year ago.
A slight increase in sales was also noted by the all-electric Kia EV6, which in July noted 1,937 units (up 13 percent year-over-year) or 2.7 percent of the total volume.
Kia reports that its electrified car sales – xEVs (BEVs, PHEVs, HEVs) – improved by 72 percent year-over-year, but without revealing the exact number.
Eric Watson, vice president of sales operations at Kia America said that the company is “confident that the launch of Kia’s flagship EV9 all-electric three-row SUV later this year will only accelerate this momentum for the foreseeable future.”
We don’t know the sales of the Kia Niro EV yet (because it’s counted together with the ICE version), but it’s usually around 1,000 units a month.
Kia BEV sales last month:
So far this year, Kia sold more than 10,000 EV6 in the US, which is a 28 percent decrease year-over-year.
Kia BEV sales YTD in 2023:
For reference, during the 12 months of 2022, Kia sold 20,498 EV6 in the US and an additional 8,209 Niro EV, which in total means over 28,700 units.
This year (through June), Kia Niro EV sales amounted to over 5,536 units (down 12 percent year-over-year).
Unfortunately, the manufacturer does not report sales of other plug-in models, as they are counted together with conventional or non-rechargeable hybrid versions.
The Kia EV6 remains in a disadvantageous position because, under the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA), it’s not eligible for the $7,500 federal tax credit when purchasing. The incentive potentially might be available through a lease. However, the example of Hyundai BEV sales indicates that the South Korean manufacturer has te potential to increase sales quite noticeably.
A big boost to Kia’s BEV sales might be the upcoming introduction of the all-new Kia EV9 model – a large, three-row SUV, based on the E-GMP platform.
