Kia to invest $649 million in Nuevo León, launching its first electric vehicle made in Mexico
Kia will invest $649 million in its Pesquería, Nuevo León, plant between 2026 and 2028 to begin producing the EV3, the automaker’s first fully electric vehicle to be built and sold in Mexico. Mexico’s Secretaría de Economía said the new production line will start operating on August 4, 2026, calling it the largest investment Kia has made in the country since the Pesquería plant opened in 2016. The announcement came during a federal government press conference led by President Claudia Sheinbaum and Economy Secretary Marcelo Ebrard, with Kia México president and CEO Andy Kim confirming the project.
More than $260 million goes directly into the EV3 line
Of the $649 million total, over $260 million will fund the EV3 production line itself, according to Kia. The EV3 is currently built only in South Korea, so the Pesquería line marks the first time the company will manufacture a fully electric model outside that country. National content for the Mexican-built EV3 will start near 27%, a figure Ebrard said the government expects to rise as more Mexican suppliers integrate into the supply chain.
The formal announcement finalizes a plan first previewed on April 8, 2026, during a trade mission to South Korea led by Nuevo León Governor Samuel García, when Kia signaled it would add EV3 production without disclosing a dollar amount. Tuesday’s announcement set the investment figure, the production timeline and the employment targets.
The rest funds solar power, water reuse and EV charging
The remaining investment covers a 2-megawatt solar park at the Pesquería complex, which Kia plans to expand to 8 megawatts by 2030 and which the company says will generate power equivalent to the annual consumption of more than 4,000 Mexican households. It also funds a second wastewater treatment plant able to reuse roughly 1,050 cubic meters of water per day — about 70% of the plant’s treated water — plus a national EV charging network that will include a vehicle-to-vehicle mobile charging service for drivers who run low on battery away from a station.
“This project reaffirms our long-term commitment to Mexico,” Kia México president and CEO Andy Kim said, adding that the EV3 launch strengthens the company’s position for the next stage of Mexico’s automotive development.
500 jobs this year, 1,500 more by 2030
Kia said the expansion will add 500 direct jobs in 2026, followed by 1,500 more through 2030 — roughly 2,000 new positions tied to the EV3 launch. The Pesquería plant currently employs about 2,600 people directly, with more than 85,000 additional jobs linked to its supplier network, according to the company.
Kia opened the Pesquería complex in 2016 with an initial $1 billion investment, its only manufacturing plant in Mexico. The Secretaría de Economía said the operation has generated more than 80,000 direct and indirect jobs since. The EV3 investment is also part of the government’s Plan México initiative, whose overall investment portfolio now totals 1,186 projects valued at roughly $404 billion, concentrated mainly in the automotive and manufacturing sectors.
What this means for companies evaluating Nuevo León
Kia’s decision to build the EV3 outside South Korea for the first time adds to a broader wave of electric-vehicle investment in Nuevo León, reinforcing the region’s position as a growing hub for automotive manufacturing in Mexico. Thinking about expanding to Mexico? Contact American Industries to learn how our shelter services and site selection expertise help international companies launch or grow operations within Mexico’s manufacturing ecosystem.
