Improved battery technology key for faster EV adoption: Kia’s Brar

The domestic automobile industry needs improvement in battery technology for the faster adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) in India, Hardeep Singh Brar, Senior Vice President and head of sales and marketing at Kia India, told Business Today in an interaction. 

“Over some time, with the battery technology improving, the range of EVs will also increase. I think if you have a range of more than 400 kilometres, then you can reach up to 300 kilometres. And that will happen when the battery technology improves,” says Brar.

According to Brar, improvement of charging infrastructure and ensuring price parity between EVs and ICE vehicles will also be crucial in improving consumer sentiments towards EVs. “The price gap is anywhere between 40 and 50% between ICE and EVs. The moment this price gap comes down to 20-25% with the costs of battery prices coming down, there will be more buyers who would want to go EVs,” observes Brar. 

Kia India is planning to have a 15-17% EV penetration in its portfolio. The company currently has EV6 in its portfolio. However, it is considering bringing an EV version of its recently launched model, the Syros, to the domestic market by 2026. Additionally, the company is reportedly planning to have an EV version of its flagship MPV, Carens, by 2025.

On Chinese EV players' entering the domestic automobile industry, Brar says that “any new players bring their strength to the industry.” “Chinese are good in EVs, so I think they bring in the technology that could be good for the industry,” he said. 

The company currently has seven models in the domestic market: Seltos, Carens, Sonet, Carnival, EV6, EV 9, and Syros. The company launched Syros globally in December 2024 and has so far received 10,000 bookings. In 2024, the company reported a 6% year-on-year increase in its total sales at 2,55,038 units, its highest-ever annual sales.