Gas-Powered Vehicles Are Preventing Kia From a Major Electric Sales Crisis | Carscoops

      Fortunately, its K5 sedan and Carnival minivan are sustaining significant profitability overall.

      Kia achieved a 12% increase in year-over-year sales for July, although electric vehicle (EV) sales have declined.

      Sales of the EV6 and EV9 have decreased by over 40% compared to the same timeframe in 2024.

      The gasoline-powered Sportage has already exceeded 101,000 sales in 2025 alone.

      While electric vehicle sales experienced a surge in recent years, 2025 is turning out to be more challenging for the sector. Despite ongoing innovation, new designs, and continual improvements, demand appears to be waning.

      This trend is particularly pronounced for Kia, where the EV9 and EV6 models are failing to keep up with last year's figures, an unexpected development given the recent uptick in EV sales as consumers rush to benefit from the $7,500 federal tax credit through purchases or leases.

      In July, Kia reported sales of 1,737 EV9s and 1,290 EV6s. In the same month last year, it sold 1,815 EV9s and 1,545 EV6s. While the sales figures may not seem encouraging for these impressive crossovers, the EV9's total could be considered an anomaly, yet overall annual totals suggest otherwise.

      A More Significant Decline Over Time

      So far this year, Kia has sold 7,165 EV6s, which is 5,323 fewer than the total by July of 2024, marking a 42.6 percent drop in sales. The EV9 has performed slightly better, down 41.8 percent from 11,486 sales through July of 2024 to 6,675 this year. Still, the brand is having an exceptional year overall due to its gasoline-powered models.

      Gas-Powered Models Support Sales

      The K5 is performing exceptionally well with over 40,000 units sold already. The Carnival minivan has seen a 52.4 percent increase year over year, reaching 39,080 sales in 2025. The Telluride, Sorento, and K4 are also performing strongly. Meanwhile, the Sportage has achieved over 101,000 sales this year, contributing to Kia's overall growth of 8.3 percent.

      “Kia is making steady strides toward its highest annual sales record and an all-time high market share, driven by significant consumer sales growth,” stated Eric Watson, vice-president of sales operations for Kia America.

      He further mentioned, “As our SUV lineup continues to experience double-digit growth month after month, we have recently launched a new advertising campaign for the 2026 Sportage, which combines efficiency with capability. As Kia’s longest-standing nameplate, our customers have a deep connection to the Sportage, and we aim to create similar bonds with our other models.”

      At this juncture, the brand may increasingly focus on its gas-powered vehicles, as it seems that, barring any unforeseen developments, the electric vehicle sector may not be able to replicate last year's success.