Content has been reconstructed based on interviews with stakeholders and historical records,
and may include partial dramatization for better understanding.
In the 1980s, watching marathoners run
behind exhaust-spewing broadcast vans,
Kia knew something had to change.
Ahead of the 1986 Asian Games in Seoul,
Kia set out to build a vehicle
that could cover over 42 km
without emitting a single puff of fumes.
It sounded impossible until it wasn’t.
After relentless research,
Kia unveiled the Besta EV—Korea’s first,
and the world’s third-ever, electric vehicle.
Wearing the Kia badge,
the Besta EV silently kept pace
with the runners, leaving nothing
behind but inspiration.
Broadcast live around the world,
it made its mark and took center
stage again at the 1988 Seoul Olympics.
In an era of growing environmental
concern and fossil fuel scarcity,
the Besta EV wasn’t just a car.
It was Kia’s first step toward
a more sustainable future.
The success of the Besta EV didn’t mark
the finish line—it was just the beginning.
Kia took on a bold new challenge:
electrifying the nation’s most beloved cars.
In 1993, at the Daejeon Expo, Kia introduced
the Pride EV and the Sephia EV—two models
that pushed the boundaries of electric mobility
and showcased Kia’s growing technical fortitude.
But this was still only the very dawn of
Kia’s journey toward a sustainable future.
From the Ray EV,
Korea’s first mass-produced electric vehicle,
to the Niro EV, which pioneered
the eco-friendly compact SUV segment,
Kia kept moving forward.
Electrification was never just a trend for Kia.
It was a promise for everyone, and for the future.
In 2021, Kia marked a major turning point—
reinventing itself as a provider of
sustainable mobility solutions.
Leading the charge was the Kia EV6,
the first dedicated EV built on
Kia’s new E-GMP platform.
With it, Kia set a bold new direction for electrification.
Then came the EV9, EV5, EV4, EV3, and EV2.
A full electrified lineup, thoughtfully built
to meet the needs of tomorrow’s drivers today.
But this bold journey didn’t start here.
It all began 40 years ago,
when Kia built an emission-free electric car
to run alongside marathoners.
From that early spark
to today’s bona fide electric revolution,
Kia has never stopped rethinking
the boundaries of mobility.
And today,
Kia continues to redefine the meaning of movement.
The journey is far from over.
