Kia's India plant to be ready for production of electric vehicles

-Plant will go online in early 2019
- Signs MOU with AP Govt for shared mobility
- Niro EV, Niro PHEV and Niro HEV handed over to AP govt for trial usage

The new Kia plant which is being built in Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh will be ready to produce electric vehicles of all type. Kia's plans to have 16 electric vehicles in its global line-up by 2025 and the India plant will play a major role in this regard.

The automaker has hinted that there will be an India specific EV and will be produced here for the domestic market in the future. However, it's launch in the country will depend on the development of the EV ecosystem, going forward.

In this regard, Kia today handed over 3 versions of its Niro EV to the Government of AP as part of an MOU that they have signed for shared mobility in the state. The three cars are an EV, PHEV and HEV and have been handed over along with the installation of a charging unit at the Vijayawada Secretariat, where the MOU was signed.

Kia will begin operations in India in H2 of 2019 with the production version of the SP concept. This will be a Hyundai Creta, Renault Duster and Nissan Kicks rival and it is expected to be priced in the range of Rs 10 lakhs to Rs 16 lakhs.