With New EV Pickup, Kia Aims to Top Cybertruck, F-150 Lightning

Kia plans to launch a midsize electric pickup in the US as it looks to diversify and achieve its goal of selling over a million EVs by 2030.

Though light on details, especially the juicy ones like price and appearance, Kia has big ambitions for the truck. It’s set a “long-term annual sales target of 90,000 units,” or about three times the best-selling electric pickups today.

Tesla’s Cybertruck was the most popular electric pickup in 2024, with 39,000 units sold. The Ford F-150 Lightning followed with 33,500, according to Electrek. Kia makes one pickup truck today, the gas-powered Tasman, which is only available overseas.

Kia may be planning to upstage the competition with a smaller, cheaper electric pickup. It referenced “cost innovation strategies” that don’t sacrifice battery performance and software. The Lightning and Cybertruck start around $60,000 and $70,000, respectively, but often cost much more depending on the trim. If Kia can undercut the market significantly, like it’s done with the EV9 for the full-size electric SUV market, it could have a winner.

The 90,000 figure may also be easier to hit with natural market growth over the next five years. But by then, it could have more competition. In 2026, Ram debuts its Ramcharger “extended range” pickup, which offers less range anxiety with the premium feel of EV driving. News also reported this week that Jeff Bezos is backing a secretive EV company called Slate, which aims to make a $25,000 electric pickup truck (an elusive price).

To improve the EV driving experience, Kia is investing in “specialized maintenance networks, introducing certified EV repair training programs, and providing remote diagnostic services,” it says. It’s also enhancing its charging networks, especially the IONNA joint venture with seven other US automakers that is currently beta testing ahead of launching 1,000 stations this year, Car & Driver reports.

These efforts will also likely support the 2026 launch of its EV4 sedan. Kia is also ramping up its hybrid sales targets “in response to uncertain environmental regulations and growing hybrid demand,” it says. It plans to sell a million units by 2030, which is double the amount it expects to sell this year.

About Emily Forlini

Senior Reporter

I’m the expert at PCMag for all things electric vehicles and AI. I’ve written hundreds of articles on these topics, including product reviews, daily news, CEO interviews, and deeply reported features. I also cover other topics within the tech industry, keeping a pulse on what technologies are coming down the pipe that could shape how we live and work.

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