Kia sold over 8,000 EV2s in just 3 months

Kia's small electric SUV, the EV2, sold more than 8,000 units between May and July, its first three full months on the market after opening for orders in April. In Germany it starts at €26,600 (about $30,500), with leases as low as €199 (about $229) a month. In the UK, the EV2 Air long-range version starts at £24,245 (about $32,500) once the government's £3,750 Electric Clean Car Grant is applied. In June, it was Kia's second best-selling EV in Europe, behind the larger EV3.

This is a European story, not a US one. Kia is not selling the EV2 in the United States. American buyers who want an affordable Kia EV now have the EV3 instead, which recently launched here starting at $29,890.

For anyone tracking EV prices generally, the EV2 shows automakers pushing smaller, cheaper electric SUVs into the market, with two battery options (42.2 kWh and 61 kWh) giving a driving range up to 281 miles on the larger pack. Fast charging can take the battery from 10 to 80 percent in about 30 minutes. None of this changes what's available for a US home charging setup or rebate today, but it's a sign that lower-cost EV options are expanding abroad, which could eventually shape what shows up in US showrooms and what to expect for pricing and range as more affordable models arrive.