2023 Kia EV6 price starts at $49,795, 7k more than 2022’s base price
Kia is dropping the base “Light” trim level of their popular EV6 for 2023, resulting in a new base model price of $48,500 for their “Wind” trim level (plus $1,295 destination charge). This is a $1,000 increase for the Wind trim level, but with the new absence of the “Light” trim, this means the cheapest EV6 is now $7,100 more than 2022’s cheapest EV6.
A $1,000 price increase doesn’t seem all that bad, compared to the prices of everything else in the auto industry right now. This is a relatively minor bump, especially given how constrained supplies have been and how many cars, particularly EVs, are selling for well above MSRP. However, the removal of the lowest trim means that the new base price will be much higher than last year.
2022’s “Light” EV6 was the smaller-battery option, with an ample 232 miles of range. This is the main difference between the larger battery Wind and Wave trims, which have 310 miles of range (or 274 for AWD versions). These higher trims have other features, but improved performance and a larger battery are the main chunk of the increased cost.
Kia spokesperson James Hope confirmed the change (while pointing out some of the extra features the Wind trim gets):
“With strong sales and continued customer demand, the Wind RWD becomes the base EV6 for the 2023 model year, replacing the Light RWD. With just a $1,000 MSRP increase from last year, its greater range and sought-after standard features – leather seating surfaces with ventilated front seats, external and internal vehicle-to-load ports, smart power liftgate and a Meridian premium audio system – ensures the Wind RWD offers tremendous value for discerning EV buyers.”
Another problem for Kia is the change in EV tax credits from the Inflation Reduction Act. Cars that are assembled outside of North America, as all of Kia’s EVs currently are, no longer qualify for the US federal EV tax credit, as of this August when it was signed. When Kia starts building EVs in the US in 2024, they will potentially be eligible again for these credits, but for the next 1-2 years, they’re left out in the cold.
What this means is that a base model Kia EV6 purchased at the beginning of this year was $14,600 cheaper than a base model Kia EV6 purchased at the beginning of next year will be, which is quite a large practical price change for shoppers at the bottom of the model range.
There are some efforts in Congress to try to fix this problem and re-qualify certain cars for tax credits, but these are only nascent efforts. The success of these bills will likely rely on the results of tomorrow’s US Congressional election – keeping in mind that the vote to extend the EV tax credit went exactly along party lines, being supported by Democrats and opposed by all republicans in Congress.
Electrek’s Take
Kia recently announced prices for the newly-updated Niro EV, coming in at a base price of $39,450. At the time, we thought this price was a tad high, particularly when compared to the EV6, which seems like a better vehicle at an only slightly higher price.
Now, that calculus has changed significantly. The base model Kia EV6 price is more expensive than the top Niro trim, so the relative pricing between the two seems to make a little more sense now. And that’s great, but…when compared to other competing vehicles, Kia’s offerings are starting to look a little expensive.
It’s still a lot more expensive than a 2023 Chevy Bolt EV, but the EV6 competes less directly with that car than the Niro did, so we imagine there will be less cross-shopping between those two.
That said, Kia also has some of the most popular EVs in the US right now, as they and Hyundai are outselling all non-American EVs this year. Their offerings are good, and they know it. The E-GMP platform has produced some amazing cars. So they’re probably hoping they can continue to ride this popularity as long as EV supplies remain limited, and prices of other vehicles are inflated due to lack of supply anyway, before hopefully getting access back to tax credits to make them more price-competitive.
If you’re interested in the 2023 Kia EV6 click here to find a local dealer and ask them to add you to their list of interested buyers.
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British Columbia got its first 400 kW DC fast charger last week at Canadian C-store chain On The Run, but that’s not the good part. As part of a limited time offer, these chargers are FREE!
The Canadian convenience store chain just took the wraps off its new, ABB-developed, 400 kW chargers earlier this month, but they’re already planning to bring the ultra-fast 400 kW dispensers to at least four more locations in BC this spring, and have them online just in time for the summer road trip season – something On The Run hopes its customers will appreciate.
“The A400 charger delivers an enhanced customer experience, with reliability and performance from a 32-inch screen to higher power charging sessions and power sharing,” reads the company’s official announcement, via LinkedIn. “Download the Journie Rewards app to start the charge – free for a limited time.”
On The Run’s new 400 kW ABB DC fast chargers are compatible with CCS and CHAdeMO plugs, and can accommodate Tesla and other NACS-equipped vehicles with an adapter. That said, the company seems to imply that Tesla drivers in particular will have a maximum charging speed of “just” 50 kW, which feel hilarious (given the current state of affairs between Tesla and the Canadian government), but probably isn’t.
In addition to the ABB A400 400 kW units shown here, On The Run locations also employ the ABB Terra 184 dispensers rated at 180 kW. On The Run plans similar deployments at the four BC locations mentioned above, as well as two more each in Quebec and Ontario slated to go live towards the end of this year.
Electrek’s Take
Tesla’s controversial CEO Elon Musk once mocked 350 kW charging speed as being “for a child’s toy,” despite the fact that, nearly nine years later, his own cars and Superchargers can barely make it to 325 kW while others have sailed right on past. I made fun of that fact on the Quick Charge episode shown, above – and, while I do think it’s funny and relevant, the much more relevant piece of news here is that companies like BP Pulse, Revel, and Wallbox are actively deploying 400 kW solutions, today (while others hit the same mark as far back as 2017).
It’s just a fact: Tesla has fallen way behind.
SOURCE | IMAGES: On The Run, via Electric Autonomy.
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Terawatt Infrastructure‘s first medium- and heavy-duty electric charging truck stop in California is now online, in Rancho Dominguez.
Located 12 miles north of the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles, the private Rancho Dominguez site, which is shared among multiple fleets, will support electric trucking fleet operations in and out of the largest container ports in the US.
First customers include Dreaded Trucking, Hight Logistics, PepsiCo, Quick Container Drayage, Southern Counties Express, Tradelink Transport, and WestCoast Trucking & Warehousing.
Terawatt’s electric charging truck stop features 20 pull-through and bobtail DC fast charging stalls with a capacity of 7 megawatts (MW), enabling charging for up to 125 trucks per day using a simple reservations system. Terawatt’s site features a proprietary charge management system, in-house technicians, 24/7 customer service, and onsite parts management.
“This launch underscores growing collaboration between enterprises, shippers, carriers, and charging infrastructure providers to advance sustainable technologies across logistics and transportation operations, especially in the medium and heavy-duty sectors,” said Neha Palmer, CEO and cofounder of Terawatt. Palmer added that the company will bring another charging site online in Rialto, California, in June.
Terawatt joined some of the world’s largest shippers and carriers in September 2024 to launch the I-10 Consortium heavy-duty EV operations pilot, the “first-ever US over-the-road electrified corridor.” Terawatt is providing charging infrastructure, including software, operations, and maintenance support at six of its owned charging hubs along the I-10 corridor.
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In its most aggressive attack against offshore wind yet, the Trump administration halted the $5 billion Empire Wind 1, already under construction off New York’s coast.
Norwegian developer Equinor announced yesterday that it received notice from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) ordering Empire Wind 1 to halt all activities on the outer continental shelf until BOEM has completed its review. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum posted this tweet yesterday:
Burgum gave no indication of what insufficiencies there were in the approval process for the fully permitted offshore wind project, despite Trump’s recent declaration of a national energy emergency that speeds up permitting processes.
The commercial lease for the 810-megawatt (MW) Empire Wind 1’s federal offshore wind area was signed in March 2017 during the first Trump administration. It was approved by the Biden administration in November 2023 and began construction in 2024.
The project is being developed under contract with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). Empire Wind 1, which was due to come online in 2027, has the potential to power 500,000 New York homes.
“Halting construction of fully permitted energy projects is the literal opposite of an energy abundance agenda,” said American Clean Power Association CEO Jason Grumet in a statement. “We encourage the administration to quickly address perceived inadequacies in the prior permit approvals so that this project can complete construction and bring much-needed power to the grid.”
As Electrek reported, Equinor secured $3 billion to finance Empire Wind 1 in January. The total amount drawn under the project finance term loan facility as of March 31 was around $1.5 billion.
As of March 31, Empire Wind has a gross book value of around $2.5 billion, including South Brooklyn Marine Terminal (pictured above), which was expected to become the US’s largest dedicated port facility for offshore wind.
In response to BOEM’s stop work order, New York Governor Kathy Hochul issued the following statement:
Every single day, I’m working to make energy more affordable, reliable and abundant in New York and the federal government should be supporting those efforts rather than undermining them. Empire Wind 1 is already employing hundreds of New Yorkers, including 1,000 good-paying union jobs as part of a growing sector that has already spurred significant economic development and private investment throughout the state and beyond.
As Governor, I will not allow this federal overreach to stand. I will fight this every step of the way to protect union jobs, affordable energy and New York’s economic future.
Equinor says it’s considering appealing BOEM’s order.
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