Finance
South Korea's Kia Cuts 2030 Ev Target Over 20%, Plans Humanoid Robots at U.S. Factory
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on April 9, 2026
2 min readLast updated: April 9, 2026
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Kia has reduced its 2030 EV sales target by about 20%—from 1.26 million to 1 million units—and trimmed its total vehicle sales goal slightly. It also revealed plans to install Boston Dynamics’ Atlas humanoid robots at its Georgia factory starting around 2029 in an automation push.
Kia boosts investment plan by 30% over the next four years; shares fall
Kia's Strategic Investment and Future Plans
Increased Investment for Electrification and New Businesses
SEOUL, April 9 (Reuters) - South Korean automaker Kia Corp plans to boost its investment plan over the next four years by 30% to boost vehicle electrification, software and other new businesses, according to an investor presentation on Thursday.
The company plans to raise its investments to 41.4 trillion won ($27.95 billion) from 2026 to 2029, it said.
Electric Vehicle Sales Target Adjustment
The presentation also showed Kia cut its 2030 target for electric vehicle sales by about 20% to 1 million units, reflecting weaker demand and the scrapping of EV subsidies in the U.S. last year.
Market Reaction
Shares in the automaker slid, trading down 4.2% after earlier having risen as much as 2.5%.
Advancements in Vehicle Technology
Software-Defined Vehicles (SDVs)
Kia also said it plans to introduce a test version of its so-called software-defined vehicles by the end of 2027, which would mark a one-year delay. Hyundai Motor Group had touted the SDVs, which allow vehicles to improve features and functions constantly similar to Tesla vehicles.
Semi-Automated and Autonomous Driving
Kia also said it plans to launch a model equipped with semi-automated driving technology for both highways and urban driving environments in early 2029, followed by a fully autonomous robo-taxi model in 2030.
Robotics Integration and Expansion
Deployment of Atlas Humanoid Robots
Kia joined sister firm Hyundai Motor in unveiling plans to deploy Atlas humanoid robots developed by Boston Dynamics. It will use them at a factory in the U.S. state of Georgia from 2029.
Hyundai's Robotics Manufacturing Plans
Hyundai plans to use the robots at a new plant in Savannah, Georgia, from 2028 and has said it aims to build a factory capable of manufacturing 30,000 robots annually by that time.
Exchange Rate and Reporting Credits
($1 = 1,481.1000 won)
(Reporting by Heekyong Yang and Hyunjoo Jin; Editing by Edwina Gibbs and Christian Schmollinger)
Key Takeaways
- •Kia lowered its 2030 EV sales target to 1 million units, down from 1.26 million due to softer demand and the end of U.S. EV subsidies (kia.com).
- •Total vehicle sales target for 2030 was adjusted down to approximately 4.13 million units from 4.19 million (kia.com).
- •Kia (via Hyundai Motor Group and Boston Dynamics) plans to deploy Atlas humanoid robots in its Georgia (Metaplant) facility—starting operational deployment in 2028, with humanoid work commencing around 2029–2030 (apnews.com)
References
Frequently Asked Questions about South Korea's Kia cuts 2030 EV target over 20%, plans humanoid robots at U.S. factory
1Why did Kia lower its 2030 EV sales target?
Kia reduced its target by over 20% due to weaker EV demand and the removal of U.S. EV subsidies.
2What is Kia's new 2030 electric vehicle sales goal?
Kia now aims to sell 1 million electric vehicles by 2030, down from the previous target of 1.26 million.
3How does the new target affect Kia's total vehicle sales goal for 2030?
Kia trimmed its overall 2030 vehicle sales goal to 4.13 million units, reduced from 4.19 million.
4What are the plans for humanoid robots at Kia's U.S. factory?
Kia will deploy Atlas humanoid robots, developed by Boston Dynamics, at its Georgia factory starting in 2029.
