Seoul: Kia Corp., South Korea's second-largest automaker, announced plans to invest 49 trillion won (US$33 billion) in facilities and research and development through 2030 to enhance its future mobility capabilities. The investment covers the period from 2026 to 2030, marking an increase of 7 trillion won from the company's previous five-year plan. The company aims to allocate 43 percent of the investment to electrification, autonomous driving, and robotics advancements.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Kia plans to expand its electric vehicle (EV) lineup from 11 models in 2026 to 14 by 2030, targeting global EV sales of 1 million units. This comes amid a prolonged industry slowdown. Additionally, the company will continue to diversify its offerings of internal combustion engine and hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) to counteract weak EV demand. The HEV category will include both conventional gasoline hybrids and plug-in hybrid models.
Among the upcoming models is an extended-range electric version of the Tasman pickup, designed on a body-on-frame platform, scheduled for launch in the U.S. market in 2030. To meet future EV demand, Hyundai Motor Group, which includes Kia and its larger affiliate Hyundai Motor Co., plans to develop a next-generation dedicated EV platform to replace the current E-GMP architecture, focusing on improved energy efficiency.
In the field of autonomous driving, Kia intends to introduce its first software-defined vehicle (SDV) by 2027, featuring Level 2 highway driving capabilities. By early 2029, the company aims to deploy enhanced Level 2++ systems capable of functioning on both highways and urban roads. Level 2 systems necessitate driver engagement, with continuous monitoring of driving conditions and readiness to take control.
In robotics, Kia plans to deploy the life-sized Atlas humanoid robot, developed by U.S.-based Boston Dynamics-a Hyundai Motor subsidiary-at its Georgia plant in late 2029. This follows its initial rollout at Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (HMGMA) in 2028.
Kia President and CEO Song Ho-sung stated at the company's 2026 CEO Investor Day in Seoul that the company will build on advancements in brand value, electrification, purpose-built vehicles (PBVs), and environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) over the past five years. He stressed that Kia will accelerate growth in EVs, hybrids, autonomous driving, and robotics, and will respond proactively to market changes with differentiated strategies despite external uncertainties.
Kia previously announced its goal to sell 3.35 million vehicles globally this year, a 6.8 percent increase from 2025, and aims to sell 4.13 million units by 2030. The automaker also aims to achieve an operating profit of 10.2 trillion won on sales of 122.3 trillion won in 2026, marking respective increases of 12.4 percent and 7.2 percent year-on-year.
Additionally, Kia seeks to secure a 6.2 percent market share in the United States by 2030, with annual sales of 1.02 million vehicles, supported by an expanded lineup of hybrid models.