A prototype of Kia’s upcoming EV2 electric vehicle covered 310.6 kilometers (193 miles) during Norway’s El Prix Winter Test Drive, one of the world’s most demanding cold-weather evaluations, the company said.
The long-range “GT-line” prototype completed the route in temperatures as low as −21°C, finishing within about 25% of its target WLTP range despite harsh conditions. The test, organized by the Norwegian Automotive Federation (NAF), took place in the mountainous Jotunheimen region and lasted more than five hours.
Kia said the prototype outperformed several production vehicles tested under the same conditions, though its results were not included in the official rankings because the EV2 has not yet entered series production. The vehicle used a 61.0 kWh battery and 19-inch wheels, with a targeted WLTP range of 413 km for that configuration and 448 km for the broader long-range variant.
Pablo Martinez Masip, Vice President of Product and Marketing at Kia Europe, said the results demonstrate dependable performance in extreme climates. He said the EV2 is intended to serve as an accessible entry point into the brand’s electric lineup while maintaining strong real-world capability.
Charging performance remained relatively stable despite the cold. The vehicle’s 400-volt E-GMP platform supported AC charging at 11 kW and 22 kW, while rapid DC charging from 10% to 80% took about 36 minutes — roughly six minutes longer than official estimates.
The El Prix event, held twice annually, compares electric vehicles under identical real-world driving and charging conditions. This year’s winter edition recorded temperatures as low as −31°C, highlighting the impact of cold weather on battery performance and efficiency.
Kia expects formal WLTP certification for the EV2 in the third quarter of 2026. Production of the long-range version is scheduled to begin in June 2026 at the company’s AutoLand Slovakia plant in Žilina, which already builds the standard-range variant with a 42.2 kWh battery.
The EV2 will join Kia’s growing European electric lineup, with the manufacturer aiming to expand affordable battery-electric offerings as demand shifts toward smaller, lower-cost models.