Kia launches $29,890 EV3 as its US EV sales slide

Six EV3s left Kia dealerships in the United States in August. The number is tiny, but it marks the arrival of Kia’s smallest and most affordable electric SUV as the company tries to extend a record sales run into a weaker month for its established electric models.

The 2027 Kia EV3 starts at $29,890, excluding the $1,495 delivery fee. The base Light FWD uses a 58.3 kWh battery and has an EPA-estimated range of up to 221 miles. Wind, Land, GT-Line and GT trims use an 81.4 kWh battery, with up to 321 miles of range in the front-wheel-drive versions.

The charging hardware is consistent across the range. Every EV3 has a native NACS port — the connector used at Tesla Superchargers — so drivers do not need a separate adapter to access that network. On a 350 kW DC fast charger, the smaller battery can charge from 10% to 80% in 29 minutes; the larger one takes about 31 minutes.

Kia needs that new option. The company sold 83,793 vehicles in August, a monthly record, and 590,377 vehicles through the first eight months of 2026, up 3% from the same period last year. But fully electric sales moved the other way: August EV6 sales fell 60% year over year to 712 vehicles, while EV9 sales dropped 33% to 1,789.

So what changes in practice? The EV3 gives US buyers a Kia electric SUV with a starting price below $30,000, a longer-range configuration reaching 321 miles, and built-in access to Tesla Superchargers. Whether that combination attracts buyers is still unresolved: Kia has reported only six US EV3 sales so far, while the model is already among its most popular EVs in the UK, Europe and other overseas markets.