KIA Elects To Manufacture The EV3 In Mexico

Kia will build its EV3 electric SUV in Mexico rather than the United States. Production starts this month at the company's Pesquería factory in Nuevo León, with the car reaching US buyers later this year. The EV3 is a compact SUV that won World Car of the Year in 2025. The base version has a 58.3 kWh battery, 220 miles of range, and a price around $35,000. A larger 81.4 kWh battery option pushes range to 320 miles, and a dual-motor GT Performance version is expected to sell for just under $50,000. It charges from 10 to 80 percent in about 30 minutes using a NACS plug, the same connector Tesla uses and one now common across many EV chargers.

The decision to build in Mexico instead of at Kia's existing Georgia plant follows an immigration raid last year at a nearby Hyundai battery factory that led to the detention of South Korean workers. Kia had already said it would not bring a related model, the EV4, to the US market. The Mexico plant will get $640 million in investment through 2028, including a charging network and a solar park, and is expected to add up to 1,500 jobs.

For homeowners, this is mainly a note on where a popular EV will be made, not a change to any home energy program. If you're shopping for an EV and also weighing a home charger or panel upgrade, the EV3's price and range figures may be useful to compare against other models on your list.