While Hyundai is preparing to unveil the retro-inspired Ioniq 5 that will be sold under the automaker's new Ioniq EV sub-brand, its sister company Kia is also preparing to launch its first-ever dedicated EVs in response to increasing demand for electric cars.

Back in September, the Korean automaker announced a bold plan to launch as many as seven new electric cars for different segments by 2027 and expand its EV line-up to 11 models by 2025. This will enable EVs to account for 25 percent of Kia's worldwide sales by 2029. All seven EVs were previewed in shadowy teaser images, and now we may know the internal names for Kia's new EV lineup thanks to trademark filings obtained by The Korean Car Blog.

Filed on December 22 at South Korea's Intellectual Property Office, Kia has filed trademarks for the following names: IK4, EV3, KIA EV2, EV6, and KIA EV5. These are more likely to be internal codenames than production model names, but it shows Kia's EV strategy is at an advanced planning stage. They also all share the same typography as Kia's new logo.

Kia has also already confirmed the first new EV debuting in 2021 is codenamed CV. From the teaser images, the majority of Kia's new EVs will be SUVs and crossovers in various different sizes to cater for different segments and capitalize on the demand for electric SUVs. It also looks like an electric sedan and hatchback will join Kia's new EV family.

Unlike the current the Niro EV and Soul EV, these new EVs will be built on a new dedicated platform for battery-electric cars. As for the styling, Kia's first EV will reportedly be inspired by the stunning Imagine Concept that debuted at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show and offer an electric driving range of 310 miles.

With a 350-kW charger, the battery will charge from 20-80 percent in around 20 minutes. To accommodate these new EVs, Kia plans to add 1,500 EV chargers in South Korea by 2030, along with over 2,400 EV chargers in Europe and around 500 in North America.