Kia is moving forward with plans to produce its first three-row electric SUV in the U. S. The U. S. Highway, which will launch this spring. However, it’s unclear whether Kia’s new U. S. -made EV9 will be the same. The U. S. government will be fully eligible for the $7,500 electric vehicle tax credits at first. .
After opening orders for its first three-row SUV in October, Kia’s EV9 has sparked a lot of interest.
Kia considers the EV9’s under-$55,000 starting value a “wake-up call for the industry. “The automaker is already bringing models to the U. S. The U. S. economy has expanded from 1,118 in December to 1,408 last month. Kia expects to sell about 2,000 EV9 models, consistent with the month eventually.
As Kia’s first giant electric SUV (with an AWD GT-Line trim starting at $73,900), the EV9 is expected to play a significant role in the brand’s shift to electric.
According to online car research company CarsDirect, the EV9 is already being discounted at dealerships despite Kia’s call to keep costs down.
The 2024 Kia EV9 GT-Line is priced up to $7,000. Some dealerships offer the EV9 for $83,315 before taxes and fees.
With 42. 8 inches of rear legroom, the EV9 beats the Cadillac Escalade, the 3-row Range Rover P400, and the Mercedes EQS. It also offers more shoulder and legroom than Tesla’s Model X. It’s not that the electric SUV is in the highest demand.
Although the EV9 is already sold in the U. S. , Kia is moving EV9 production to the U. S. U. S. citizens to benefit from the federal tax credit.
Kia’s Georgia plant is preparing to begin construction of the electric SUV this spring, with the first U. S. -made models being built soon. The U. S. will go on sale this summer. However, it’s unclear if the Kia EV9 will qualify for the full $7,500 tax credit first.
After new needs were put in place this year, thirteen all-electric cars are eligible, up from 25 last year.
The new requirements restrict the proportion of vehicle batteries from a “foreign entity of interest” such as China to 2%.
Kia Georgia CEO Stuart Countess told Automotive News: “We are completing some configurations in the testing phase. He added that the facility would go through a transition phase before it can start using locally sourced batteries for the EV9.
“We will get a battery pack to integrate into the car that we get from Hyundai Mobis,” explained the Countess.
The batteries will come from Hyundai or a third-party supplier. Hyundai is moving forward with plans to build two battery factories in the United States, but neither is expected to begin production until next year.
Hyundai is building an electric vehicle battery plant as part of its $7. 6 billion Metaplant near Savannah, Georgia. The other is in partnership with SK On in Bartow County.
The battery and electric vehicle plant will produce 300,000 Hyundai, Kia and Genesis electric vehicles. Hyundai has already made it especially difficult to start production to gain access to the IRA tax credit. It is possible that it will be operational in October.
Hyundai also improved its services in Alabama last year and began building the first American-made Genesis GV70 electric models.
Kia’s EV9 will be the first all-electric style built at its West Point facility. The plant is known for building Kia’s high-volume crossovers such as the Telluride, Sorento and Sportage.
Once the EV9 becomes operational, Kia will adjust the production cycle based on demand. Currently, the facility can manufacture up to 350,000 vehicles per year. The Sportage tops the list, largely followed by the Telluride.
Kia sent members of its team to Korea to paint prototypes and learn how to install the batteries. The countess said plant managers are interested in installing the EV9 in the building.
Peter Johnson covers the automotive industry’s step-by-step transformation to electric vehicles. He is a seasoned investor, money writer, and electric vehicle enthusiast. His enthusiasm for electric vehicles, primarily Tesla, is one of the main reasons he pursued a career in investing. If he doesn’t tell you about his latest discoveries in the 10K, you can spot him enjoying the outdoors or exercising.