kia pride EV restomod equips original car model made from 28 years ago with electric motor

KIA UK converts classic Pride car into EV restomod

Kia UK upcycles a Pride car model produced 28 years ago into an EV restomod. They replace the petrol engine with a motor capable of producing up to 107bhp (80kW), but retain the original design of the vehicle. The one-off Kia Pride EV restomod comes to mark the company’s 80th anniversary, and it’s a collaborative project between Kia UK and British EV powertrain and conversion specialists Electrogenic. It made its public debut at the Bicester Heritage ‘Scramble’ in Launton, England, on October 6th, 2024.

all photos by Mitch Payne, courtesy of Kia UK

preserve the original model so that nothing is cut

Working on the Pride EV restomod, the Kia UK team receives the 1996 car model as a donation from its heritage fleet. The development team looks for ways to fit the classic model with a fully electric powertrain without stripping it of its original details and design. They work with conversion company Electrogenic, whose role is to preserve the original structure of the Pride so that nothing is cut and all modifications are entirely reversible.

At first, they deem the conversion a challenge, especially with a car that was ‘never created with any of these characteristics in mind,’ the Kia UK team says. They then swap almost all of its original internal combustion components for a fully electric powertrain, only keeping the five-speed manual transmission and drive shafts. While the insides are now changed, the outside exudes the style that modern cars have veered away from.

Kia UK upcycles a car model produced 28 years ago into an EV restomod

Kia UK upgrades EV restomod with white pearl exterior paint

The Kia Pride EV restomod maintains its original 12-inch steel wheels and wheel covers, but the development team brings in a touch that pivots back to the 2024 Kia models. When they received the donor car, it had its original Kingfisher Blue exterior paint. In the EV restomod, the Kia Pride gets a White Pearl finish, as seen on the Kia EV3, EV6, EV9, and Niro EV. They also upgrade the front and rear lights so drivers can clearly cruise in the dark.

Inside the Kia Pride EV restomod, the team refines the classic model’s style by trimming it in period-appropriate gray cloth featuring lime green piping on the seats and lime green stitching on the floor mats. The interior brings back the earlier cabin days of cars, and Kia UK hopes that it gives a sense of familiarity to the owner, namely the Kia EV6 GT. It’s not a modern EV restomod without different driving modes, and the upgraded Kia Pride has three: Eco, Sport, and Auto. Both Eco and Sport modes have minimal regenerative braking.

the car comes with a fully electric powertrain without stripping it of its original details and design

In traditional petrol or diesel cars, the engine slows the car down when the driver stops pressing on the accelerator. With modern electric cars, the car slows down a bit faster because of regenerative braking. The Kia Pride EV restomod is in the middle, tuned so that it slows down slightly when the driver lifts their foot from the accelerator.

For the third mode, Auto, the car handles most of the driving adjustments automatically, including acceleration and braking. So far, the Pride EV restomod is only a one-off project car created especially by Kia UK and is not for general sale. The team adds that it has ‘no bearing on the engineering direction or capabilities of future models from Kia.’

the design teams retain the five-speed manual transmission and drive shafts