“If measures are not taken before December 31, Spain should forget about the electric car,” says the president of KIA Iberia

During the international presentation in Cascais (Portugal) of the group’s new compact C-SUV, the Kia EV3, Emilio Herrerapresident and CEO of Kia Iberia, stressed the need for the Spanish Government to Pedro Sanchez implement strong measures to promote the adoption of electric cars.

According to Herrera, the expiration of the Moves III Plan at the end of this year could be a critical point for the sector. “If measures are not taken before December 31, Spain should forget about the electric car,” he warned.

The Government cannot shirk away from the electric car crisis in Europe.

Herrera proposes a more effective approach than current subsidies, such as the elimination of VAT and changes in personal income tax taxation, which would facilitate the acquisition of electric vehicles. This is especially crucial considering the European regulatory landscape, where CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) regulations will demand significant reductions in carbon dioxide emissions from 2025.

Kia’s strategy to comply with CAFE standards

The CAFE regulation, which will require a 15% reduction in emissions from cars sold in Europe compared to pre-2020 levels, presents a monumental challenge. In the words of Herrera, “we will comply with the CAFE regulations”, although he points out that it will do so at the European level without having to register a level of electric sales in Spain greater than 10%, considering that, at this time, ” “The market is not ready.”

However, with respect to the request of some European countries such as Italy or the Czech Republic to Brussels to bring forward to 2025 – initially planned for 2026 – the review of the environmental agenda that contemplates the ban on the sale of combustion cars in the Old Continent by 2035, the director of the automobile company claims to support these Rome assumptions in which the community bloc is also told that a “broader range” of mobility solutions beyond battery electric vehicles must be recognized and hydrogen cars, which are slowly adopted in the territory.

Global competition and infrastructure challenges

Asked if import tariffs on Chinese electric cars are a lifeline for the industry, Herrera admits that trade obstacles “are never a solution”, although it must be taken into account that the idiosyncrasy of the Chinese automobile industry is ” very different” from the Western one, since the companies of the Asian giant “do not mind selling at a loss for a long time”, something that, in his opinion, European or American companies “cannot have.”

“The global production capacity of the Chinese vehicle industry is 50 million units and its domestic market barely covers 28 million units of demand,” clarifies the president of Kia Iberia, who says he is “more concerned” about the China’s control of the electric vehicle battery value chain thanks to “their good raw materials” and their ability to extract and refine these materials: “they do it better than anyone else.”

Regarding the role that Europe could play in this cell industry, Herrera is critical and clear: “Here we do not want to open the mines, we do not want to exploit them and we do not know how to refine them. Europe is not in this game.”

Kia EV3 and solid state batteries

During the international presentation of the new Kia EV3 in Cascais, Portugal, Herrera highlighted the brand’s advances in electric mobility. With a range of up to 605 kilometers and a competitive price starting at 23,600 euros (applying the car company’s discounts and the Moves III plan), the EV3 aspires to be the “main car of the home.”

“We are almost at parity in price with the EV3 than with a similar combustion car,” he congratulates, before highlighting the “milestones” of the South Korean group since the launch of the product at the beginning of October: “In month and On average we have managed to sell 500 units. If we sell 500 cars per month next year I would be delighted.

If we sell 500 cars a month next year I would be delighted.

However, when asked about the state of the electric car charging infrastructure, Herrera understands that it is not a product “for all audiences” because the vast majority of the Spanish population lives in apartments and “has nowhere to charge.” vehicles”.

“The infrastructure must be accelerated to avoid future collapses,” he advises, while insisting that the industry’s communication policy must be changed to eliminate the prejudices that exist among consumers regarding battery-powered cars. “For example, 95% of the time the chargers are not being used,” he points out.

95% of the time the chargers are not in use.

Although in 2014 Kia ​​was one of the first automobile groups to circulate an electric car, the Soul, with about 200 kilometers of autonomy, Herrera now highlights the advances that have allowed the EV3 to land with up to 773 kilometers of autonomy on urban routes .

Looking to the future, he predicts that they will be able to equip cars with solid state batteries “lighter and with more autonomy” within three or five years. “The evolution is there,” he says.