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‹F.›: Mr. Herrera, in April you
were appointed Chief Operating
Officer of Kia Motors Europe.
You can look back on a very successful
time as Managing Director
for Kia Motors Iberia. In your
new role you will oversee the rollout
of a range of new advanced
powertrain vehicles, with 16 new
models planned for launch by 2025.
What can we expect?
‹Herrera›: Kia will continue to expand
its range of environmentallyfriendly
cars in the coming years,
and the company is developing all
types of new powertrain technologies.
As you said, our company
plans to offer a total of 16 advanced
powertrain vehicles by 2025; including
five new hybrid and five
plug-in hybrid models, five new
electric vehicles, and even a new
fuel-cell EV in 2020.
‹F.›: New emission legislations
have boosted the development of
fully electric vehicles. Yet combustion
engines have never been
cleaner. Do you think the combustion
engine has a future?
‹Herrera›: Yes, internal combustion
engines will continue to account
for the majority of sales around
the world, particularly in markets
where electric vehicle charging networks
are in their infancy, or even
non-existent. Modern combustion
engines are more efficient thanks to
downsizing and turbocharging, and
the adoption of direct fuel injection
and thermal control technology.
We believe many different types of
powertrain will co-exist for an extensive
period of time, including
parallel and plug-in hybrids, battery
electric vehicles and fuel cells.
Hybrid cars are increasingly popular
with drivers, and the technology
still relies on combustion engines to
meet consumers’ needs for vehicle
range and everyday usability.
D E C EMB E R 2 0 1 8 5
Interview with Mr. Emilio Herrera,
COO Kia Motors Europe.
The new ProCeed is
the latest testimony
to Kia's design strength.