Today, Kia introduced the all-electric EV3 crossover, demonstrating global automakers’ growing interest in incorporating generative AI into their vehicles. The electric car will be equipped with a new voice assistant created based on ChatGPT OpenAI. Kia itself also played a role in developing the voice assistant; The large language model that forms the basis of ChatGPT has been modified and personalized by the automaker.

Voice assistants in vehicles are not new, and drivers do not always evaluate them positively. Automakers such as BMW, Kia, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen claim that generative AI will make voice assistants much more functional and allow drivers and passengers to interact with them naturally.

Today, some automakers have already taken the first steps towards large-scale implementation of generative AI in vehicles. Mercedes-Benz added a conversational artificial intelligence bot to its MBUX infotainment system in June 2023. In January 2024, BMW and Volkswagen showcased versions of this technology at CES in Las Vegas.

The voice assistant Kia Assistant was first launched in April 2024 on the new compact sedan with the Kia K4 internal combustion engine. Kia’s design chief Pablo Martinez said the big language model behind the AI ​​assistant was OpenAI’s ChatGPT, but it was “heavily modified and customized by the automaker to allow customers to plan trips, drive and find entertainment, including music and games.”

Initially, the electric car will be available only with a 204 hp engine. (283 Nm), but there will be two options for batteries: standard capacity for 58.3 kWh and Long Range capacity for 81.4 kWh. The latter will provide travel of up to 600 km under the WLTP cycle. Fast charging supported; The battery is charged from 10% to 80% in just 31 minutes. Acceleration up to 100 km/h. The crossover accelerates in 7.5 seconds and the maximum speed is 170 km/h.

The Kia EV3 will be the first fully electric car in the company’s portfolio equipped with a new AI-based assistant. Sales of the Kia EV3 will begin in Korea in July 2024, and the crossover will go on sale in Europe in the second half of the year. The start date of delivery to the United States is unknown. According to preliminary data, its cost will start from $ 30,000.