Kia plugs the demand for electric cars, showing off its EV6 at California’s state Capitol

Carmakers are turning up the juice in promoting electric vehicles as an alternative to paying high gas prices and as a way to cut emissions, with another making an appearance Tuesday in Sacramento.

Kia showcased its EV6 parked at the California State Capitol steps Tuesday. It’s one of two electric cars manufactured by Hyundai Motor Group, Kia’s parent company, adding to the about 30 electric vehicles on the market. Last week, Ford rolled out its F-150 Lightning to show Sacramentans what an electric pickup truck can do.

“Remember this day,” James Bell, Kia’s head of communication, said. “Because when the history books are written 50 years from now, they’ll say, ‘Here’s a chapter about the year 2022 because of electric cars.’”

Kia officials said they were here to meet with lawmakers to talk about emissions and production, and to take the opportunity to spotlight the compact crossover it introduced in 2021. It was named the 2022 European Car of the Year.

Bell said that established car brands such as Kia are entering the electric car market, competing with companies such as Tesla and presenting a sign for the future in the auto industry. Electric cars are growing in popularity in California and the U.S. with the rising concern about climate change and the cost of gas.

Through May this year, Hyundai has sold more than 20,000 of its two new electric models, the Ioniq 5 and the EV6.

The EV6 can charge up to 80% in 18 minutes at public fast-charging stations, and can travel 310 miles on a single charge. Bell said this is plenty of mileage for the average American, who drives under 40 miles a day according to the Federal Highway Administration.

At about $40,000, the car sits under the average electric vehicle cost of $54,000 and is expected to save owners around $10,000 over the course of five years in maintenance and gas costs compared to Kia’s non-EV car, the Sorento, according to the Kia website.

Bell said maintenance costs would be low because “electric cars don’t need much work.” He said that Kia will have a franchise dealer network to repair what little will need to be done, as “a lot of it is connecting to a computer system.”

Bell emphasized that the goal of Kia was to design an innovative and interesting car rather than just an “electrified version of a basic sedan or something like that.”

“It goes down the road without gasoline, just like any electric car, but this one drives as good as it looks,” Bell said. “That’s the big difference.”