In a recent statement, Kia Motor Europe COO Emilio Herrera has said that the South Korean automaker is “looking at” the possibility of producing a purely electric variant of its Picanto city car.

Revealing that an electric Picanto is being considered by Kia, Herrera also asserted alongside that, “There’s nothing confirmed yet.”

As per the information shared by Herrera, the cost of production of an electric Picanto would presently come to approximately EUR 20,000. However, to materialize the electric Picanto production plans, Kia wants to reduce the vehicle’s production costs to between EUR 16,000 and EUR 17,000.

For reference, the cost of the petrol-powered Kia Picanto model starts at EUR 10,290 in Germany, with a fully equipped version costing nearly EUR 17,000.

Kia is apparently considering an electric Picanto as part a of revised model strategy -- similar to that of other automaker’s -- necessitated by the stringent emission limits in the European Union (EU). The reduction of the projected production cost of an electric Picanto version to realize the vehicle’s production would be a very challenging task for Kia. But, according to Herrera, synergies with Kia’s sister brand Hyundai could pave the way for the electric Picanto.