KIA and General Motors launched new logos and new ambitions this month, with both highlighting the change of image dovetails with the expansion of electric vehicle production.

GM presented its new logo, a blue square and stylised lower-case lettering that has been unkindly compared with an elephant.

It replaces the GM corporate logo that has been used in various forms since 1964.

The versions of the GM logo used since 2001 are predominantly blue with a gradient that gives them a metallic look.

News reports said the new logo would be used on future GM EVs but GM said it was designed for corporate and promotion material and would not appear on a vehicle.

The only time a General Motors vehicle wore a GM badge was the EV1 battery electric vehicle (BEVs) produced from 1996 to 1999.

GM this week announced it would introduce 30 new BEVs and the redesigned corporate badge along with its “Everybody In” marketing tagline.

The first announcement this week is the production of the BrightDrop brand of EV delivery vans that go on sale in the US market at the end of this year.

FedEx has already placed orders for the first BrightDrop vehicle, the EV600, and an electric pallet that can move goods from the warehouse to the van and from the van to the customer’s door.

At its launch this week at the online CES technology conference, GM CEO Mary Barra said it created the sub-brand BrightDrop as a commercial delivery entity. It estimated the market opportunity for parcel, food delivery and logistics in the US would exceed $US850 billion ($A1.1 trillion) by 2025.

Kia has also signified its new look is related to the transition to electric vehicles. It this month revealed its new corporate logo and global brand slogan, “Movement that inspires”.

The new logo was unveiled during a pyrotechnic display in the skies above Incheon, Korea, that involved 303 pyro drones launching hundreds of fireworks in a synchronised artistic display.

The display set a new Guinness World Record for “Most unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) launching fireworks simultaneously”.

The logo is intended to be a symbol of Kia’s new brand purpose and the values it promises to offer customers through future products and services.

In a statement, Kia said the new logo was designed to resemble a handwritten signature.

“The rhythmical, unbroken line of the logo conveys Kia’s commitment to bringing moments of inspiration, while its symmetry demonstrates confidence,” it said.

“The rising gestures of the logo embody Kia’s rising ambitions for the brand, and, more importantly, what it offers customers.

Kia president and CEO Ho Sung Song said it represented a commitment for change and innovation.

“The automotive industry is experiencing a period of rapid transformation, and Kia is proactively shaping and adapting to these changes,” Mr Ho said.

“Our new logo represents our desire to inspire customers as their mobility needs evolve, and for our employees to rise to the challenges we face in a fast-changing industry.”

The launch of the logo and slogan follows the announcement of Kia’s ‘Plan S’ long-term business strategy in 2020.

Under Plan S, Kia, among other objectives, has the ambition to take a leading position in the global car market.

“This is focused on popularising electric vehicles and introducing a broad range of mobility services, tailored to meet the needs and tastes of individuals and local markets,” it said.

By Neil Dowling