Paul Philpott, head of Kia UK, stated that if the ZEV (Zero Emission Vehicle) mandate regulations are not amended, the company will be forced to discontinue its popular Picanto hatchback by 2030. This is reported by Autocar.co.uk reports .
Under current regulations, all new cars sold after 2030 must feature hybrid systems, and from 2035, only fully electric vehicles will be permitted. The Kia Picanto is equipped with a 1.0-liter gasoline engine, and the company has no plans to introduce hybrid technology to it.
Philpott noted that as the share of electric vehicle sales is set to rise sharply from 2027, the company is forced to reconsider its model lineup. Currently, the Kia Sportage crossover accounts for a large portion of sales, and in the future, the company will have to make difficult decisions to retain only the most popular models.
The government plans to review the mandate rules next year, but these changes are not expected to provide relief for traditional internal combustion engine vehicles. Therefore, the future of compact cars like the Kia Picanto remains at risk.
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