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Kia is opening reservations for its eagerly awaited flagship EV9 electric SUV in the US on October 16th. The EV9 is expected to attract significant interest as Kia’s first three-row electric SUV.

Kia is opening EV9 reservations on October 16th

“The Kia EV9 represents the future of sustainable mobility, and this reservation program will allow interested customers to be among the first in line for one of the most highly anticipated new vehicles to hit the U.S. market in years,” Steven Center, COO and EVP at Kia America explained this week.

Kia unveiled its largest electric SUV in March, previewing the automaker’s vision of the future with a trailblazing new design and premium tech features.

The EV9 will start at $54,900 (not including destination) and will be available in four trims: Light Long Range RWD, Wind AWD, Land AWD, and a sporty GT-Line AWD.

Reservations are expected to open within the next two weeks. Starting October 16 at 10 a.m. PST, those interested will have the opportunity to reserve Kia’s first three electric SUV.

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Kia EV9 electric SUV (Source: Kia)

If you reserve the EV9 before November 27th, you will be eligible for a “suite of gifts,” including a Webasto Go Dual Voltage Portable EV Charger ($549 value), a complimentary three-year Kia maintenance plan, and one-year of available digital features and services.

The deal is good for purchases and leasing. In addition, all customers will receive a credit for 1,000 kWh of charging at Electrify America.

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Kia says it expects “significant interest” in its EV9, and the reservation program is a way of celebrating early adopters.

If interested, you can visit Kia.com to design and reserve your EV9 with a $750 fully refundable payment placed with participating Kia dealers.

What to expect from Kia’s first three-row electric SUV

The EV9 “will deliver sought-after features packed into one powerhouse EV SUV,” according to the Kia.

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Powered by Hyundai’s E-GMP platform (the same used for the IONIQ 5), the EV9 is the first model to use its fourth-generation battery tech. The 800V platform enables DC fast charging from 10% to 80% in under 25 minutes.

Kia included “true SUV capabilities,” like up to 5,000 lbs towing, 7.8 of ground clearance, and over 81 cu ft of cargo space behind the first row.

The EV9 is slightly longer than the Kia Telluride at 197.2″ in length, while they are nearly the same height (up to 70.1″) and width (77.9″). Even with its rugged, boxy design, the electric SUV features a drag coefficient of 0.28, beating out the Volvo EX90 at 0.29.

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Kia EV9 interior (Source: Kia)

Kia included the latest in-vehicle tech, including its sixth-generation Connected Car Navigation Cockpit (ccNC) system. The new infotainment includes faster processing, easy accessibility, OTA updates, Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

At the center of the new system is an elliptical-shaped dash with a modern “floating” effect. A wide, single-panel panoramic display is featured on top with dual 12.3″ screens and a 5″ HVAC screen.

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Underneath the screen are hidden switches for infotainment features. Meanwhile, physical buttons for volume, temperature, and fan speed are added for practicality.

Kia included over 20 ADAS features as standard, including an updated Forward-Avoidance Assist.

The EV9 will initially be built in South Korea and shipped to the US, with 2024 models expected to hit showrooms by the end of the year. Next year, Kia will move production to its West Point, Georgia, facility to take advantage of the EV tax credit provided by the IRA.

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Rare earth stocks surge on U.S-China trade dispute over the critical minerals

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Rare earth stocks surge on U.S-China trade dispute over the critical minerals

A dump truck moves raw ore inside the pit at the Mountain Pass mine, operated by MP Materials, in Mountain Pass, California, U.S., on Friday, June 7, 2019.

Joe Buglewicz | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Shares of U.S. rare earth miners surged in early trading Monday, after President Donald Trump threatened China with retaliation over its strict export controls.

USA Rare Earth soared more than 18%, Critical Metals surged 18%, Energy Fuels jumped more than 11%, and MP Materials rallied about 8%.

Trump on Friday threatened China with a “massive” increase in tariffs in retaliation for Beijing imposing strict export controls on rare earth elements. The president then dialed down his rhetoric on Sunday, saying the situation with China will “be fine.”

The Defense Department, meanwhile, is accelerating its effort to stockpile $1 billion worth of critical minerals, according to The Financial Times.

And JPMorgan Chase said Monday it would invest up to $10 billion in companies that are crucial to U.S. national security.

“It has become painfully clear that the United States has allowed itself to become too reliant on unreliable sources of critical minerals, products and manufacturing — all of which are essential for our national security,” JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon said in press release.

Rare earths are a subset of critical minerals that are crucial inputs in U.S. weapons platforms, robotics, electric vehicles and other applications.

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Bloom Energy shares soar more than 30% after striking deal with Brookfield to provide fuel cells to AI data centers

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Bloom Energy shares soar more than 30% after striking deal with Brookfield to provide fuel cells to AI data centers

Bloom Energy power storage equipment in San Ramon, California.

Smith Collection | Gado | Archive Photos | Getty Images

Shares of Bloom Energy surged Monday after striking a deal with Brookfield to deploy fuel cells for artificial intelligence data centers.

Brookfield will spend up to $5 billion to deploy Bloom Energy’s technology, the first investment in its strategy to support big AI data centers with power and computing infrastructure.

Shares of Bloom Energy were up more than 30% in early trading. Bloom’s fuel cells provide onsite power that can be deployed quickly because they do not rely on the electric grid.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang told CNBC last week that the AI industry will need to build power off the electric to meet demand quickly and protect consumers from rising electricity prices.

“Data center self-generated power could move a lot faster than putting it on the grid and we have to do that,” Huang told CNBC on Oct. 8.

This is breaking news. Please refresh for updates.

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JPMorgan Chase says it will invest $10 billion into industries critical for national security

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JPMorgan Chase says it will invest  billion into industries critical for national security

JPMorgan Chase says it will invest $10 billion into industries critical for national security

JPMorgan Chase on Monday said it is launching a decade-long plan to help finance and take direct stakes in companies it considers crucial to U.S. interests.

The bank said in a statement it would invest up to $10 billion into companies in four areas: defense and aerospace, “frontier” technologies including AI and quantum computing, energy technology including batteries, and supply chain and advanced manufacturing.

The money is part of a broader effort, dubbed the Security and Resiliency Initiative, in which JPMorgan said it will finance or facilitate $1.5 trillion in funding for companies it identifies as crucial. It said the total amount is 50% more than a previous plan.

“It has become painfully clear that the United States has allowed itself to become too reliant on unreliable sources of critical minerals, products and manufacturing — all of which are essential for our national security,” JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon said in the release.

As the biggest American bank by assets and a Wall Street juggernaut, JPMorgan was already raising funds and lending money to companies in those industries. But the move helps organize the company’s activities around national interests at a time of heightened tensions between the U.S. and China.

On Friday, markets tumbled as President Donald Trump announced new tariffs on Chinese imports after the major U.S. trading partner tightened export controls on rare earths.

In the release, Dimon said that the U.S. needs to “remove obstacles” including excessive regulations, “bureaucratic delay” and “partisan gridlock.”

JPMorgan said that within the four major areas, there were 27 specific industries it would look to support with advice, financing and investments. That includes areas as diverse as nanomaterials, autonomous robots, spacecraft and space launches, and nuclear and solar power.

“Our security is predicated on the strength and resiliency of America’s economy,” Dimon said. “This new initiative includes efforts like ensuring reliable access to life-saving medicines and critical minerals, defending our nation, building energy systems to meet AI-driven demand and advancing technologies like semiconductors and data centers.”

The bank said it would hire an unspecified numbers of bankers and create an external advisory council to support its initiative.

This story is developing. Please check back for updates.

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