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The all-new Niro EV (Kia) |
Kia Motors, the nation’s second-biggest carmaker, has claimed the No. 2 spot in EV sales in Sweden this year, outpacing its US rival Tesla.
According to market tracker EU-EVs on Sunday, Kia sold a total of 6,018 EVs in the January-November period this year, becoming the second highest-selling EV brand with a 12.7 percent market share.
At the top of the list was Volkswagen, which sold 9,296 vehicles for a 19.6 percent market share. During the same period, Tesla sold 5,666 EVs, claiming a 11.9 percent market share.
Until October, Kia had been behind Tesla but their EV sales last month helped them move up the ladder.
In November, Kia sold 776 EVs, while Tesla sold 299 units.
Kia’s first all-electric EV6 and the Niro hybrid drove up sales, selling 355 and 365 units, respectively.
Sweden is one of the top markets for EVs in Europe. According to data compiled by the EU Commission, EVs made up 15.9 percent of all car sales in Sweden, the third-highest portion after Norway’s 59.7 percent and Iceland’s 27.9 percent.
Expectations are also high for the upcoming full-electric Niro that will make its debut in Europe in the third quarter next year.
Kia has recently unveiled the all-new Niro EV in a world premiere at the Seoul Mobility Show on Nov. 25.
“It’s an encouraging result that we have surpassed Tesla in Sweden, one of the environmentally advanced markets in Europe. We plan to increase sales in other key markets such as Germany, the UK and Norway,” a Kia official said.
By Hong Yoo (
yoohong@heraldcorp.com)
