Electric 2025 Kia Tasman locked in
Battery-powered version of mid-size Kia ute now tipped to land in Australian showrooms in 2026Kia has finally confirmed it has been secretly developing an all-electric version of its 2025 Kia Tasman – a model that will battle it out with inbound zero-emission utes like the LDV Terron 9.
Rumours have been rife that a Kia Tasman EV was in the works, but it wasn't until Christo Valentyn, Kia South Africa's marketing boss, spoke with Carbuzz that it was confirmed the vehicle was on the way.
"I’m probably not supposed to say this but… an electric [Tasman] is coming," Valentyn told Carbuzz.
In 2022 Kia officially announced it would develop an electric ute but back then the car-maker's CEO said the zero-emission pick-up would be aimed at "emerging markets" when launched in 2026.
It's now thought the senior Kia exec was referencing the Tasman and that the development of the battery-powered Kia ute is at an advanced stage ahead of its potential launch in some markets next year.
Despite the massive popularity of utes in Australia, it’s been reported that the Tasman EV’s entry Down Under could be dependent on local demand, as the brand focuses its resources on launching the combustion version that is powered by a 2.2-litre turbo-diesel.
Instead of bringing the EV, it's thought Kia will lobby for the mothership based around the 2.5-litre turbo four-cylinder plug-in hybrid. This powerplant features in the latest-generation Hyundai Palisade and produces around 246kW.
The hybrid unit should provide the ute with a pure-electric range of over 100km, making it the perfect rival for the new BYD Shark 6.
When launched, the Tasman will be offered in three variants: the standard dual-cab version, a road-biased X-Line spec, and an off-road-ready Tasman X-Pro – with all three slated to hit Australian showrooms from mid-2025.
Perhaps adding further motivation for Kia to bring in the EV will be the arrival of Australia’s 2025 New Vehicle Efficiency Standards (NVES), which will penalise car-makers for not meeting their emission targets.
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Related: Kia defends Tasman ute exterior styling
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