Kia has announced the sale of its 100,000th electric car in the UK – becoming the first Korean brand to reach that milestone.
Described as a landmark achievement by bosses, it has taken Kia just over 11 years to break the 100,000 electric cars barrier.
Notably though, it has taken the firm just five years to jump from 10,000 EVs to 100,000 – and just three years to double the 50,000 figure reached in 2023.
“The milestone of reaching 100,000 EV sales is a significant landmark for Kia UK,” said president and CEO Paul Philpott.
“In a relatively short space of time, we have gone from strength to strength, steadily building our EV line-up, and have seen customer demand increase in line with our product desirability.
“We now have one of the industry’s most complete EV line-ups… further cementing ourselves as a leading player in the EV market.”
Kia EVs in the UK
Kia’s UK electric journey began in November 2014 with the Soul EV. With a 27kWh battery, it offered 132 miles of range, and only a few hundred sales a year were forecast.
Things accelerated in April 2019 with the launch of the Kia e-Niro. This had a far larger battery, delivering a 282-mile range, and sales responded accordingly.
More and more electric Kias followed, including the Kia EV9 that won World Car of the Year 2024, and the Kia EV3, which scooped the same prize in 2025.
Today, Kia has seven dedicated EVs, comprising the ‘EVx’ car and ‘PVx’ commercial vehicle ranges. Broadly, there’s an electric equivalent for every petrol or diesel car Kia sells.
The 100,000th Kia EV sold was an EV5 in Iceberg Green. The landmark sale was made on 11 March 2026 – and sales have continued to grow, with the latest figure standing at almost 105,000.
The next EV to launch will be the Kia EV2, the company’s smallest and most affordable EV yet.
Kia EV2 prices will start from less than £25,000, and it will have a range of up to 281 miles. First deliveries will begin later this year.
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Kia becomes first Korean brand to hit 100,000 EV sales in UK after 11 years.
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This milestone shows Korean automakers are gaining ground in Europe's competitive EV market.
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Kia's EV sales jumped from 10,000 to 100,000 in just five years, showing rapid acceleration.
