Kia plant halted after an parts supplier strike disrupts EV5, Sportage production

After a strike at one of its suppliers, production was halted at Kia’s plant in South Korea. The shutdown lasted several hours, impacting output at the plant where Kia builds the EV5, Seltos, Sportage, and other vehicles.

Kia plant halted where the EV5 SUV is produced

According to local reports, a “partial strike” at Motras, a subsidiary of auto parts giant Hyundai Mobis, halted production at the Kia Gwangju Plant in South Korea on Wednesday.

The strike led to a shortage of electronic module parts, forcing Kia to shut down its Gwangju Plants 1 and 2 for several hours.

Kia builds the Seltos and EV5 SUVs at Plant 1, while the Sportage and Soul are produced at Plant 2. Combined, the two facilities produce about 1,000 Kia vehicles per day. The Gwangju plant has three primary facilities. The third was not impacted.

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The reports claim that the shutdown disrupted production of hundreds of vehicles, but the specifics are not yet known.

Motras’ workers began the partial strikes, lasting four hours at a time, each day and night, starting on September 24.

The unions are demanding full employment guarantees and performance-based pay that’s on par with what automakers pay.

Kia doesn’t expect the strike to last long. A company spokesperson said that “Motras is expected to resume normal operations tomorrow,” adding “the Kia Gwangju plant is also expected to resume normal operations tomorrow.”

The Sportage, Seltos, and Soul are among Kia’s most popular SUVs, while the EV5 is a new midsize electric SUV.

After leading Kia’s comeback in China, the EV5 is now rolling out to new global markets. In the UK, the EV5 starts at £39,295 ($53,000) with a range of up to 329 miles. Kia will begin delivering the Sportage-sized electric SUV later this year in Europe and South Korea, followed by Canada and other global markets in 2026.

Source: Newsis