Kia EV4 production to start in Slovakia at the end of August

Kia is placing big hopes on its compact EV4 and expects to sell 160,000 units annually. Half of these are to be delivered in Europe alone, which is why production will begin in Slovakia rather than South Korea at the end of August.

The Korean carmaker is launching its first classic compact with electric drive in the form of the EV4. Based on the front-wheel-drive version of the group’s E-GMP platform, the EV4 is also the first fully electric Kia to roll off a European production line. Specifically, manufacturing will begin at the end of August at the Zilina plant in Slovakia, which already builds the combustion models Ceed and Sportage.

Deliveries are scheduled to start in September. According to the manufacturer, the battery of the new model has undergone extensive stress tests before reaching customers. Sister brand Hyundai has long been producing EVs within the EU – the Kona Electric, for example, comes from the Nosovice plant in the Czech Republic, just 80 kilometres away.

Only the 4.43-metre-long EV4 hatchback will carry the “Made in Europe” label, while the 30-centimetre longer fastback version will come from South Korea. The Golf-sized EV4 is expected to account for the lion’s share of European sales, since compact saloons remain a niche product in this segment. Pricing also plays a role: the standard EV4 starts at €37,590, making it almost €10,000 cheaper than the fastback.

Kia’s decision to manufacture the compact in Europe is not solely logistical. Subsidy schemes in France and the UK assess the entire vehicle lifecycle, including battery origin and production site. The Korean company appears confident that the distinctively styled compact will appeal to European buyers. European sales chief Carlos Lahoz forecasts annual global sales of 160,000 EV4, with half of them destined for Europe’s roads.

The automaker hopes the compact EV will replicate the strong success of the EV3. Kia sold 37,000 units of the small electric SUV in the first half of the year alone, boosting its European EV sales by 60 per cent, according to Dataforce. Together with the new rival to the VW ID.3 and Renault Megane E-Tech Electric, Kia aims to regain momentum – after its European market share slipped slightly from 4.1 to 4 per cent in the first half of 2025.

This article was first published by Elias Holdenried for electrive’s German edition.