Kia Electric Vehicle NFT Sold Out in 15 Seconds... "Proceeds Donated"

An NFT artwork sequentially showcasing the design stages of the Niro EV, scheduled for release in the first half of this year, from the initial sketch to the final production car

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Dae-yeol] Kia's non-fungible tokens (NFTs), the first of their kind in the domestic automotive industry, sold out in just 15 seconds.

According to the company on the 28th, all six Kia EVNFTs recently listed on the NFT distribution service Klip Drops were sold almost immediately after the sale began. The six NFT artworks released this time, themed around the present and future of Kia electric vehicles, were directly created by designers from the company's design center, attracting attention. NFTs are a type of digital asset that stores ownership and transaction history of specific assets using distributed data processing technology (blockchain). Unlike cryptocurrencies, NFTs are assigned unique identification values, making them irreplaceable and scarce.

The NFTs were created based on Kia's first dedicated electric vehicle EV6, the concept car of the EV9 scheduled for release next year, and the eco-friendly SUV Niro EV to be launched in the first half of this year. Ten pieces of each artwork were issued, totaling 60. The price was 350 KLAY per piece, which is about 490,000 KRW (based on 1 KLAY = 1,399 KRW).

A representative from Ground X, the company operating the NFT distribution service Klip Drops, said, "This was one of the best-selling releases on Defactory, which distributes digital collectibles," adding, "The scarcity of having only 10 pieces per artwork seems to have created expectations for future value appreciation."

The company decided to donate the proceeds through Naver Happy Bean to the marine environmental protection organization East Asia Sea Community Ocean. Buyers will have the opportunity to experience one of Kia's electric vehicles for one week on a date of their choice from May through the end of this year. A company official said, "The fact that the artworks were directly created by Kia designers and that buyers are given the chance to experience Kia electric vehicles were key differentiators."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.