Blindsiding BYD, Geely, MG and Suzuki: Budget Kia EV pair starting from under $30K should create chaos for Chinese and Japanese electric car rivals

Kia is frantically working on a pair of small electric vehicles (EVs) that could reshape the bottom end of the new car market by bringing near price parity with internal combustion engine alternatives.

And the big news is the EV2 small crossover, expected to debut sometime next year, and its EV1 city-car sibling, due a little later on, are under serious consideration for Australia.

This is despite being readied for production out of Slovakia, due to EV tax concessions as well as vast economies of scale that should help contain prices if or when the compact EVs land here.

According to Kia Australia (KAU) Product Planning Manager Roland Rivero, the impact of the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) that came into effect on January 1 this year has led to a re-evaluation of the brand’s entire fleet and which EVs could help rebalance the potential emissions penalties of other, more carbon-dioxide emitting models.

“The EV2 out of Slovakia is something that we are studying and looking at seriously, because of NVES and having another EV product to further support them,” he told CarsGuide at the (resolutely diesel-powered for now) Tasman ute launch in Bathurst late last month.

“If you're happy with EV3, we want to keep that momentum going with other EVs, and definitely when we're trying to accumulate credits and combat NVES, products like EV2 could become very important.

“And who knows? There might be even be one, even below that, down the track, we're seriously looking at… EV1.”

Previously, it had been reported that KAU had ruled out importing vehicles from Europe due to their excessive production and transport costs, as well as their greater susceptibility to currency fluctuations.

So, where do these inexpensive Kia EVs sit within the brand’s vast portfolio and when can we look out for them in Australia?

Poised to replace the long-lived Stonic crossover, the EV2 will be based on the concept EV of the same name unveiled earlier this year in Spain and is expected to hit showrooms in Europe later next year and possibly Australia from 2027.

With its upright hatchback design, chunky styling details and slightly raised ride height, it will target rivals as diverse as the Geely Geome, Mini Aceman and Renault 4 E-Tech. And, as the badge suggests, the EV2 will sit below the highly-acclaimed EV3 small SUV that currently kicks off from $47,600, before on-road costs.

And still counting down numbers, following on from that is what will probably usurp the Picanto, the EV1.

Pencilled in for a global unveiling in 2028, if the rumours turn out to be true, this EV follows the city-car formula of pert proportions and smart packaging, and will compete with rivals as diverse as the BMW’s Mini Cooper SE, BYD Seagull/Dolphin Surf, Fiat 500e and Hyundai Inster.

Said to be unrelated to the Inster, the EV1 is believed to be based on a revamped version of an existing software-derived architecture to contain costs, and will also adopt minimalist design and natural textures inspired by Japanese home furnishing/clothing chain, Muji.

That’s all we know for now, and while Kia has released many images of the EV2, the EV1’s appearance remains a secret.

The EV1 would have big shoes to fill, considering the Picanto it will eventually displace controls nearly 95 per cent of the sub-B (or micro) segment in Australia. Though keep in mind its only competition is the hopelessly over-priced Fiat 500.

Picanto is also Australia’s cheapest new car, period, so if any model can truly democratise the EV, Kia’s city car is it.