Kia Adopts CATL Batteries For EVs Sold In South Korea

Kia might soon use lithium-ion batteries from Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Ltd (CATL) in its electric cars sold domestically in South Korea. According to Reuters, Hankook Ilbo newspaper reported, citing an unnamed Kia official, that CATL has been selected as a battery supplier for the electric Kia Niro crossover/SUV. Reuters was not able to receive an official comment from Kia and CATL at the time of the report. Nonetheless, it would an interesting thing, as so far Kia and Hyundai (both part of the Hyundai Motor Group) were using domestically produced batteries for its electric cars in the South Korean market. The question is, what caused the eventual decision to add CATL on top of LG Energy Solution and SK Innovation’s SK On? The article suggests “cost-competitiveness,” which would not surprise us much in the current challenging times. It would also indicate that CATL…

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