Kia releases ‘petrol-scented’ car air freshener for new EV owners

A Finnish importer of Kia, Astara Auto, teamed up with perfumier Max Perttula to create the car freshener, which is said to smell of heavy motor oil with ‘top notes’ of petrol. Perttula said: “The light hint of gasoline brings a long-lasting but subdued tone to the fragrance. Any more and the fragrance would have transformed into a fruity jasmine. Finally, I brought the composition to life by ‘metalizing’ and ‘sanding’ it with amber compounds, birch tar, and galbanum.”

Anyone who purchases a Kia EV4 from Astara will receive the air freshener as a gift, with Kia stating it aims to “make it as easy as possible to switch to an electric car – also for those who have had a combustion engine car for a long time.”

Klaus Pohjala, Commercial Director of Astara Auto Finland, said: “Giving up the combustion engine can feel like a huge step, just like giving up anything else that is familiar. We wanted to add a touch of nostalgic fun to the transition with a gas-scented car freshener. Of course, this is a bit of a cheeky campaign, but we also want to communicate that we understand the change to be quite big decision for many.”

As of June 2025, EVs accounted for 11.5 per cent of total new car sales, with less than five per cent of these being fully battery electric (the rest were plug-in hybrids). However, according to Kia, 30 per cent of the new cars it sells in Finland are electric.

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