IanL said:
...Considering the hammering their profits will have taken from the battery replacements in the hotter parts of the US, avoiding that market seems to be a sound business decision.
Agreed.
Although it is more than just avoiding the financial loss of a battery replacement under warranty.
By mostly avoiding the US Kia has protected the reputation of its brand.
They are probably waiting to be sure there will be no negative press from the 2014 and 2015 failures, before entering the US market again.
The failure of the
Nissan
Leaf in the hotter parts of the US has damaged their brand.
The
Nissan
Leaf is now globally associated with severe battery degradation, even though this car actually does okay in cooler climates.
I do not believe there has been any shortage of batteries. The SK Innovation battery factory has always been under utilized.