At a glance
KARS charges 0.69% a year. It has $83.8M in assets; it paid 0.23% of its price in distributions over the past 12 months, annual. Over the past year it returned −16.7% with distributions reinvested (S&P 500: +11.5%); over three years it returned +3.1% a year. At its worst it fell 39.2% in the 2020 crash (S&P 500: 33.7%) and 37.9% in the 2022 bear market (S&P 500: 24.5%). Its ten largest positions make up 40.0% of the fund, out of 79 in all.
The short version
KraneShares Electric Vehicles & Future Mobility Index ETF (KARS) tracks the Bloomberg Electric Vehicles Index, a global basket of carmakers, battery and chip makers, and lithium, copper and rare-earth miners. China is its largest market, at 27.91% of assets as of June 30, 2026, and it charges 0.69% a year. It is volatile: it fell 64.8% from its November 2021 peak to April 2025 and had not recovered as of October 27, 2026.
Price history
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KARS -16.7% over the year to Oct 27, 2026, total return with distributions reinvested.
How it has behaved
| YTD | 1 yr | 3 yr | 5 yr | 10 yr | Since start | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KARS official prospectus, to Dec 31, 2025 | — | +45.45% | — | -3.40% | — | +4.31% |
| MSCI ACWI (Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) index, same period | — | +22.34% | — | +11.19% | — | +10.20% |
| Custom Blended KARS Index (Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) index, same period | — | +45.03% | — | -2.74% | — | +4.89% |
| KARS price data to Oct 27, 2026 | -15.3% | -16.7% | +3.1% | -11.1% | — | +1.8% |
- Over the year to Oct 27, 2026, KARS returned -16.7%.
- Its 5-year annualized return was -11.1%.
- In the 2020 COVID crash it fell 39.2% and regained its old high 3.6 months after the low.
- Its worst full calendar year was 2022 (-39.2%); its best was 2020 (+71.2%).
- The deepest fall in its price history was 64.8% (Nov 8, 2021 to Apr 8, 2025), not yet recovered.
Show as a table
| Year | Price data | Prospectus (official) |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | -15.3% | — |
| 2025 | +46.1% | +45.45% |
| 2024 | -17.9% | -17.68% |
| 2023 | -7.8% | -7.10% |
| 2022 | -39.2% | -39.04% |
| 2021 | +24.2% | +24.06% |
| 2020 | +71.2% | +70.24% |
| 2019 | +34.7% | +34.62% |
| 2008 financial crisis stocks fell Oct 9, 2007 – Mar 9, 2009 | Before this security existed |
|---|---|
| 2020 COVID crash stocks fell Feb 19, 2020 – Mar 23, 2020 | Lost 36.5% over that stretch · deepest drop along the way 39.2%, back to its old high 3.6 months after the low |
| 2022 bear market stocks fell Jan 3, 2022 – Oct 12, 2022 | Lost 37.7% over that stretch · deepest drop along the way 37.9%, not recovered by the end of the data |
Dividends and income
Show as a table
| Year | Per share | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $0.0600 | -62.5% |
| 2024 | $0.1600 | -30.4% |
| 2023 | $0.2300 | -28.1% |
| 2022 | $0.3200 | -89.8% |
| 2021 | $3.1500 | +5150.0% |
| 2020 | $0.0600 | -86.4% |
| 2019 | $0.4400 |
What's inside
As of Jun 30, 2026, the fund held 79 securities; the ten largest made up 40.03% of assets.
| Holding | Weight | |
|---|---|---|
| Panasonic Holdings Corporation | 5.47% | |
| STMicroelectronics N.V. | 5.44% | |
| TESLA, INC. | 4.62% | |
| Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Ltd. | 4.14% | |
| RIVIAN AUTOMOTIVE, INC. | 3.77% | |
| BYD COMPANY LIMITED | 3.75% | |
| SAMSUNG SDI CO., LTD. | 3.46% | |
| Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft | 3.38% | |
| XIAOMI CORPORATION | 3.20% | |
| LYNAS RARE EARTHS LIMITED | 2.79% | |
| Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile S.A. Preferred stock | 2.72% | |
| AURORA INNOVATION, INC. | 2.70% | |
| CMOC Group Limited | 2.68% | |
| NIO INC. | 2.41% | |
| MP MATERIALS CORP | 2.40% |
By country
China 27.91%United States 19.77%Hong Kong 14.8%South Korea 7.74%Australia 7.21%By asset type
Stocks 95.18%Preferred stock 4.1%What changed recently
- Over the three months to Jun 30, 2026, investors added a net $11.8M (creations minus redemptions, per the N-PORT report).
- Monthly total returns reported for that quarter: -11.60%, -0.78%, +14.87%.
How it works
The fund tracks the Bloomberg Electric Vehicles Index and keeps at least 80% of its net assets in index stocks or similar instruments. Because electric vehicles are not a standard industry category, Bloomberg Intelligence builds the list: it proposes companies in vehicles, EV components, batteries, hydrogen fuel cells and raw materials, searches company filings for related terms, and checks that the picks trade together. A committee makes the final call, after screens for serious controversies. The index held 81 stocks as of March 31, 2026.
Stocks are weighted by free-float market value (the value of shares that trade freely), then capped. The eight largest are limited to 4% each and the rest to 2.5%; companies scoring 3 on Bloomberg's in-house thematic scale are held to 1%. Excess weight goes to uncapped stocks. The index rebalances quarterly, so weights can drift above the caps in between: Panasonic was 5.47% of the fund on June 30, 2026.
The adviser, Krane, expects to hold every index stock but may use a representative sample, a subset built to behave like the index. Up to 20% can go into other stocks, derivatives, ETFs or cash, and the fund may lend securities. As of June 30, 2026, it held no derivatives. Annual turnover of 69% means frequent trading, which can add costs beyond the expense ratio.
What it really costs
- KARS charges 0.69% a year.
- Of that, 0.68% is the management fee; the rest covers other fund expenses.
- Using the prospectus's standard example, $10,000 invested would cost about $70 in the first year and $859 over 10 years (assuming a 5% annual return).
| Cost of $10,000 (SEC example) | 1 yr | 3 yrs | 5 yrs | 10 yrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KARS | $70 | $221 | $384 | $859 |
In a retirement portfolio
KARS is a narrow, volatile bet on one theme that leans on China, so it fits better as a small side position than as a core holding.
KARS gives targeted exposure to electric vehicles and battery materials, but its record shows how hard it can be to hold. It launched in 2018, so it has no 2008 record. In early 2020 it fell 39.2% and got back to its old high by July 2020, about 3.6 months later. In the 2022 bear market it dropped 37.9%, and it lost 39.04% that calendar year. From its November 2021 peak to its April 2025 low it fell 64.8%, and it had not regained that peak as of October 27, 2026. Anyone who had to sell during that stretch would have locked in deep losses. It pays little income: the yield was 0.23% as of October 27, 2026, paid once a year. In the SEC's standard example, the 0.69% expense ratio costs about $70 in the first year on $10,000. Past results don't predict future returns, and a plan should look at the whole portfolio, not one fund.
Who it may suit — and who should look elsewhere
May suit
- Investors seeking one fund spanning carmakers like Tesla, BYD and Rivian plus suppliers and miners such as Panasonic, Samsung SDI and Lynas Rare Earths.
- Those wanting a theme fund where no single company dominates: the top 10 holdings made up 40.03% of assets as of June 30, 2026.
- Long-term investors wanting a small satellite holding beside a core fund, who accept a 0.69% expense ratio and years like 2022's 39.04% loss.
Look elsewhere if
- Retirees needing income: the trailing yield was 0.23% as of October 27, 2026, with distributions paid once a year.
- Investors wanting broad-market results: over five years to December 31, 2025, it averaged -3.4% a year versus 11.19% for the MSCI ACWI global stock index.
- Those wary of China's political and economic risks, since Chinese and Hong Kong holdings were 27.91% and 14.8% of assets as of June 30, 2026.
Close alternatives
Matched by holdings overlap from the latest N-PORT reports.
No close alternatives found.
Questions investors ask
What does KARS invest in?
KARS owns about 80 companies tied to electric vehicles and future mobility, following the Bloomberg Electric Vehicles Index. As of June 30, 2026, its largest holdings were Panasonic (5.5%), STMicroelectronics (5.4%), Tesla (4.6%), Contemporary Amperex Technology, also known as CATL (4.1%), Rivian (3.8%) and BYD (3.7%). It also owns miners such as Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile (SQM), CMOC and MP Materials. China was the largest country at 27.9%, then the United States at 19.8% and Hong Kong at 14.8%.
Is KARS a good investment for retirement?
KARS is a narrow, high-risk theme fund. It is more likely to play a small side role than to anchor a retirement portfolio. Its one-year beta was 1.4 as of October 27, 2026, meaning it tended to move about 1.4 times as much as the broad market. Its three-year volatility was 28.9%. It fell 64.8% between November 2021 and April 2025 and had not recovered by October 27, 2026. Its 0.23% yield adds little income.
Does KARS pay dividends?
Yes, but very little. KARS pays once a year. Its yield over the past 12 months was 0.23% as of October 27, 2026, or about $0.06 per share. The fund picks companies for their link to electric vehicles and mobility, not for their dividends, so income is not its purpose. A retiree who needs regular cash from a portfolio would get very little of it from this fund.
What is the KARS expense ratio?
KARS charges 0.69% a year, which includes a 0.68% management fee, according to the prospectus filed July 29, 2026. In the SEC's standard example, $10,000 invested with a 5% yearly return would cost about $70 after one year, $221 after three years, $384 after five and $859 after ten. These costs come out of the fund's assets and lower your return. You don't pay them as a separate bill.
How has KARS performed compared with the stock market?
KARS has trailed global stocks over longer periods, with a few sharp bursts higher. Over the five years to December 31, 2025, it returned -3.4% a year, while the MSCI ACWI, a broad global stock index, returned 11.19%. From its 2018 launch to that date, it returned 4.31% a year against 10.2% for the index. But in 2025 it gained 45.45%, about double the index's 22.34%. In 2026, through October 27, it was down 15.3%.