- Kia plans to go fully electric in Europe by 2035, and key global markets by 2040

- Claims to be working with suppliers to reduce carbon emissions from the parts supply stage

Kia announced its corporate vision at its ‘Kia Sustainability Movement’ virtual presentation, wherein the company announced its commitment to achieve carbon neutrality by 2045. The corporate vision is based on three key pillars – ‘Sustainable Mobility’, ‘Sustainable Planet’, and ‘Sustainable Energy’.

By 2035, Kia aims to fully electrify its vehicle line-up in Europe. From 2040, Kia’s line-up in key markets around the globe will also exclusively consist of electrified models. The company is reportedly working with its suppliers to reduce carbon emissions from the parts supply stage. By 2022, Kia aims to create a carbon emission monitoring system for its partner companies and based on the resulting data the company will provide solutions to its suppliers.

As a part of the plan, the use of ‘green steel’ will be one of the key elements of this plan. For the uninitiated, green steel is produced in an eco-friendly process where the use of fossil fuel is minimised. Moreover, to protect the marine ecosystems and offset carbon emissions, Kia will initiate a ‘Blue Carbon’ project to proactively make a tangible contribution to preserve the environment. It is believed that the project will focus on marine ecosystems which are one of the most efficient absorbers of carbon.

The company will transition its fleet vehicles to electrified vehicles by 2030. Kia has officially released images of the Concept EV9 which is believed to be inspired by nature and uses upcycled materials developed from ocean waste. The Concept EV9 also hints at Kia’s next model in the dedicated BEV line-up based on the Electric Global Modular Platform (E-GMP) architecture.