Kia’s EV bet is paying off as sales surge with new models launching

Kia has quietly become a dark horse in the EV space, with a full lineup of models that range from electric sedans to vans.

Kia’s EV plans unfold as sales pick up

Kia said on Monday that global sales rose 1% in April, to 277,188 vehicles. The Korean automaker credited its growing lineup of electric and hybrid vehicles for the strong performance.

For the first time in 28 years, Kia outsold Hyundai in its home market last month. The achievement is the first time since Hyundai took a controlling stake in Kia that the “younger sibling” outsold it.

While a fire at a parts supplier impacted Hyundai’s output in March, Kia said sales growth in Korea was largely thanks to new electric vehicles, including the EV3, EV5, and the PV5 electric van, all of which posted higher demand last month.