Kia announced that the ‘All-New Kia Ray EV’ will be launched on Thursday, the 21st.
The Ray EV is the electric vehicle model of the ‘All-New Kia Ray’ (hereinafter referred to as Ray), which was launched last year.
It features a stylish exterior design with exclusive design elements, such as 14-inch alloy wheels and a front center garnish (central decorative piece) with a charging port in the center, and it enhances its futuristic image with a 10.25-inch Supervision cluster and a column-type electronic shift lever integrated with the start button in the interior.
Kia equipped the Ray EV with a 35.2kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery and a battery front under cover that enhances aerodynamic performance, ensuring a range of 205km combined and 233km in urban areas on a single charge, achieving a combined efficiency of 5.1km/kWh with 14-inch tires.
The Ray EV can be charged from 10% to 80% in 40 minutes using a 150kW rapid charger, and it takes 6 hours to charge from 10% to 100% with a 7kW slow charger. (※ Charging times may vary depending on battery temperature and external conditions)
The driving motor of the Ray EV boasts a maximum output of 64.3kW (approximately 87ps) and a maximum torque of 147Nm, ensuring better acceleration and stable driving performance compared to the gasoline model with a maximum output of 76ps (about 55.9kW) and maximum torque of 9.7kgf·m (about 95.1Nm).
Additionally, Kia has implemented the ‘Auto Hold’ feature on the Ray EV to enhance convenience when in congested traffic, and it includes a ‘Full Flat’ function that allows all seats to fold flat, as well as a ‘Utility Mode’ that enables long-term use of electrical devices like air conditioning and audio when not driving.
The pricing for the Ray EV models is as follows: 4-seat passenger ▲ Light 27,750,000 won ▲ Air 29,550,000 won; 2-seat van ▲ Light 27,450,000 won ▲ Air 27,950,000 won; 1-seat van ▲ Light 27,350,000 won ▲ Air 27,800,000 won.
Customers in Seoul purchasing the Ray EV can receive a total purchase subsidy of 6.47 million won, which includes a national subsidy of 5.12 million won and a local subsidy of 1.35 million won, making the 4-seat passenger Light trim available for around 21,280,000 won, and the 4-seat passenger Air trim for about 23,080,000 won.
Notably, the Ray EV is classified as a compact electric vehicle, exempting it from individual consumption tax, education tax, and acquisition tax. Additionally, personal business owners (limited to general taxpayers) and corporate business owners can also receive a refund for VAT, making it eligible for various tax benefits.
Kia revealed that during the pre-order period from the 24th of last month to the 20th of this month, over 6,000 units of the Ray EV were contracted, surpassing its annual sales target of 4,000 units by more than 50%.
Among the total contracts, approximately 55% were from individual customers, with 30% in their 30s and 42% in their 40s, indicating that customers in their 30s and 40s constitute 72% of the interest in the urban entry-level EV, Ray EV.
The Ray EV can be configured in three models: 4-seat passenger / 2-seat van / 1-seat van, combined with two trims: Light / Air. Approximately 89% of customers contracted for the 4-seat passenger model, and among them, around 89% chose the Air trim, which comes standard with advanced driver assistance systems such as lane-keeping assist and driver’s seat ventilation.
In addition, Kia is preparing an event in collaboration with the vehicle-sharing company ‘Socar’ to promote the excellent product value of the Ray EV. Kia plans to provide coupons for using the Ray EV to Socar members and intends to conduct research on vehicle usage patterns through user surveys.
Furthermore, various customer events are planned, including a deposit support event for the first 1,500 customers using ‘Kakao Bank’, a cash back event of 300,000 won for charging costs for individual and personal business customers, and advertising under the theme ‘The Start of Living EV’. (※ For more information, refer to the Kia website)
A Kia official stated, “The Ray EV is expected to be a reasonable means of transportation for compact car customers pursuing eco-friendly value due to its excellent product quality as an urban entry-level EV.” He added, “We will convey Kia’s sincerity towards electric mobility through various marketing activities, including test drive events for the Ray EV.”
Lee Sang-jin daedusj@autodiary.kr