2015 Kia Sorento Lx on 2040-cars

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Kia argues the coronavirus pandemic will leave a mark on car design

Shared and connected, the toaster-shaped concepts paraded in front of CES attendees each year look like rolling germ incubators in a year marred by a global pandemic. Digitally hitching a ride with four or five perfect strangers suddenly seems like a good way to get sick, and one of Kia's top executives argued that, in the coming years, automakers will need to rethink the way they design car interiors to address the public's lingering fears. "We're going to have talks with psychologists and anthropologists to really understand how the public's psyche is going to be in the future. There are things we've already been talking about: Can we have anti-viral coatings in our interiors? Can you use temperature or ultraviolet light to sanitize surfaces? These are things we will have to talk about rather soon," affirmed Karim Habib, Kia's design chief, during an interview with British magazine Car. He brought up the possibility of developing new, germ-repellent materials Kia could use to manufacture door handles, gear selectors, steering wheels, and other common touch points. And, he called into question the various car-sharing programs some companies have poured millions of dollars into in recent years. "What does this mean for cars? I think we'll have to wait and see. Right now, we are trying to expand our understanding of what this might mean, not only for the types of vehicles we drive, but also how to design vehicles for shared mobility, or not, as the case may be," he explained. Sister company Hyundai is trying to answer the same questions. It's experimenting with ways to beam ultraviolet rays from the dome light to kill viruses in car interiors. COVID-19 comes to mind, but this technology can -- in theory -- zap other infectious agents. The issue, as we reported, is that UV light harms human skin, so it would only have to be blasted into the cabin when no one is in the car. There's no word on when Hyundai will put this technology in a car, or whether it will reach production, but it's already used globally in the medical sector. Ford is taking a different approach to killing germs. It released software that bakes viruses by heating the cabin to about 133 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes. This feature is only available on the Explorer-based Police Interceptor Utility as of writing, though the company plans to add it to other models sooner or later. "So, yes: COVID-19 will very much influence the way we design our cars in the future," Habib concluded. Kia

Kia says fewer than 30% of its dealers will get 2015 K900

Kia is moving into unknown territory with its $60,000 K900 luxury sedan in many ways. Not only will it act as the company's flagship model, it will be the Korean brand's first in the US with rear-wheel drive and a V8 engine. The first batch will hit showrooms in March, but according to Edmunds, it will be a soft launch in some ways, because only around 30 percent of dealers have paid a premium to sell the plush ride.
Kia has sent the selected dealers back to school to make sure they are prepared to sell the K900 to the industry's famously finicky luxury sedan buyers. The company believes its flagship model will be "a catalyst in support of our long-term strategy to elevate the ownership experience," said James Hope, Kia's National Manager for product communications, to Autoblog in an email. According to Edmunds, the dealers paid about $30,000 each in required training, tools and showroom displays. It wants the improvements to "shift the culture" in its dealers to be ready to welcome luxury buyers, according to Hope. Kia Director of Public Relations Scott McKee told Autoblog that the brand expects buyers to be "independent thinkers" from a blend of current Kia owners stepping up to the K900 and conquests from other luxury brands.
Kia has been slowly building awareness of the K900, especially with its Super Bowl ad, but it still has a long road ahead of it to prove what makes it crown jewel different. The company believes more dealers will sign up to sell it once public awareness for the new sedan grows. "There has never been a better time to challenge the status quo," said Hope. Also, a V6 model will launch in the future at a lower price, which should bring more people into the updated showrooms. Given what Kia has accomplished in the US in the last 20 years, it would be foolish to count the K900 out, but that doesn't mean it will be easy to break into the luxury sedan market.

Kia, Hyundai working on wireless charging with Mojo Mobility

Last month, Kia started expanding US sales of its Soul EV electric vehicle outside California and into Texas, Georgia, Oregon, and Washington. Now, the South Korea-based automaker is making it a little easier for residents of those states to charge up those cars. Much of the early focus, naturally, is on the always-green-minded Pacific Northwest. Kia Motors America is working with a company called Greenlots to build Level 2 and fast-charging stations at Kia dealerships. Specifically, about 30 fast-charging stations will be deployed at 21 dealerships throughout those four states. Those stations can get a Kia Soul EV 80-percent charged in about a half hour. The EVs can go about 93 miles on a full charge. Including Level 2 stations, about 40 stations will be added in the Pacific Northwest alone. The idea is to make sure folks in both the Seattle and Portland areas feel secure about their ability to charge their cars throughout the region. Additionally, Kia and its sister automaker Hyundai are working with another company called Mojo Mobility to develop a wireless plug-in vehicle charging system, Hybrid Cars reports. The companies received funding from the US Department of Energy's Vehicle Technologies Program, and have so far found that those wireless stations can charge at about 92-percent efficiency. No timeline has been disclosed as far as when those stations will start being available to the public, but folks in the Pacific Northwest are sure to welcome them, perhaps in time for the Soul EV 2.0. Related Video: Show full PR text KIA MOTORS AMERICA RAMPS UP SOUL EV INFRASTRUCTURE IN WASHINGTON AND OREGON Soul EV coming to a total of 20 dealers in the Pacific Northwest; 12 in Washington1 and eight in Oregon2 Kia increases fast-charger network in the region with 10 new chargers IRVINE, Calif., July 8, 2015 – Kia Motors America (KMA) is continuing its progressive launch of the Soul EV and adding to the electric vehicle ecosystem in the Pacific Northwest with 20 Soul EV-certified dealers and a robust charging network. Of the 20 dealers in the region, 12 will be located in Washington and eight in Oregon. In addition to each being equipped with two Level-2 chargers (40 total in the PNW region), 10 of the dealers will also be up-fitted with DC fast chargers, increasing Kia's overall network of fast-charging stations. As an added value, select Kia dealers will allow Soul EV owners to charge their electrified urban runabout at no cost3.