The Indian arm of the South Korean carmaker Kia Motors has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the state government of Andhra Pradesh for collaborating on the ‘Partnership for Future Eco Mobility’. Kia Motors India, as we know, has established its manufacturing facility in the same state and the official partnership with the government shows how serious it is about bringing electric mobility solutions to India.

Here’s what Kookhyun Shim, who is the MD and CEO at Kia Motors India, said about this partnership:

“Kia is taking a lead in the global eco-friendly vehicle market, and we are confident of achieving the same in India. This new partnership with the Andhra Pradesh government highlights how we can support the growth of EV infrastructure and uptake of eco-friendly vehicles, bringing exciting new possibilities for future mobility in India.”

A total of 14 smart cities are being developed in the state of Andhra Pradesh. All of them will be built to showcase a sustainable ecosystem for electrified mobility. And it will be Kia Motors India who will bring its prowess in the sector to all those cities. The MoU was signed in the presence of the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Chandrababu Naidu, and Kookhyun Shim. As per the agreement, Kia Motors India provided the state government with three electrified cars – Niro Hybrid, Niro Plug-in Hybrid and the pure-electric Niro, which can travel up to 455 kilometres on a single charge. All three vehicles have been well received in several international markets.

Regional government officials will use the three vehicles. Kia Motors will also install a charging station in Vijayawada to support the existence of electrified models. Kia Motors is yet to launch its first product in India. That is likely to happen in mid-2019 in the form of the Kia SP Concept, which could get the Tusker name. The carmaker has planned to introduce six models on Indian soil in just three years. Later, once the infrastructure is good enough, Kia Motors India also plans to make EVs (electric vehicles) locally.