Hands-on: The Kia EV9 is huge, but its backseat and frunk are not
The LA Auto Show is in town, and we got a chance to hop in the EV9 and see how big this three-row EV really is. It turns out, from the inside, it was smaller than expected.
This isn’t a full review, first drive, or even a first ride. All we got to do was check out a stationary version of the car up close on the show floor. Kia invited us out a few months ago to check out the EV9 but when we got there, the demo model we were to view was broken.
The main question that we think people will have about this car is: does it fit three rows worth of adults comfortably? And from our short experience, it feels like the answer is no.
The conditions of the impromptu test involved several members of the media climbing into the car to see how it felt. The EV9 in question was a 6-seat “captain’s chair” configuration, where the second row includes two chairs with armrests and a passthrough in between for access to the third row without having to fold the second-row seats down. For the record, I like this configuration and I think it is the most common on the Model X.
When I hopped into the car, there was a relatively small woman in the third row, and I asked if I could join. So I, a 6′ tall man (who nevertheless fits into small seats relatively well – I drive a Tesla Roadster, for example), got back there and had a seat, and the second-row seat was positioned way too far back to be comfortable. After adjusting the second-row seat approximately to my liking (which I could do by reaching around to the side electronic seat controls from behind – it wasn’t the easiest reach, but it was doable), a shorter person sat in the 2nd-row seat in front of me.
In this configuration, all three of us were unimpressed with the amount of space that we had. Despite having moved the seat forward, I didn’t really give myself a particularly spacious knee area, just the bare minimum. And the man in front of me was unenthused about the amount of room that he had.
As for my third-row-mate, the captain’s chairs had a post connecting to the floor of the vehicle right around where either of us in the back would have put one of our feet. The choices were either to twist our bodies unnaturally outward to put both feet underneath the second-row seats, or to leave one foot in between the second-row seats, wherein we ended up fighting for foot space. There was enough foot space for the both of us, but our feet were close enough that it felt like a game of footsie could break out at any moment.
All of this experience can’t really be summarized perfectly well in pictures, but I did take a couple just to give an idea of what was going on.
Even though the three of us did fit, it really didn’t feel like it would be comfortable for a particularly long ride.
Not long after, I walked over to the Lucid Gravity booth, and while I wasn’t able to sit in the third row seat of that vehicle, Lucid assured us that it has much more room in the seats. But then, every company says its cars have lots of room. It should be an interesting comparison when we get the chance, given that the Lucid is 1 inch longer than the EV9, so they fit into the same category.
As for other impressions – the dashboard was nice, striking a good balance between the spartan interiors that I love (Tesla Model 3, Hyundai Ioniq 5) and those that offer a lot of functions and buttons. However, we didn’t really spend time in the front seat, because the back seat was of far more interest given that the third row is a big selling point.
The frunk was bigger than the frunks we’ve seen on other Kia vehicles. The latter are quite small, with room perhaps for a messenger bag or some charging cables. The EV9’s was much deeper, but compared to a Rivian or Model X, it’s not all that big.
Personally I’d prefer more rear/interior space over more frunk space anyway, and I think a lot of people might agree with that, since frunks tend to be used a lot less than trunks do. But then again, that’s because a lot of other frunks are bad, so why use it if it’s not great.
And if the car already has a big hood, might as well give us room to store things if we want it. I’m not going to say that Kia entirely missed the mark on this frunk, and it feels less tacked-on than frunks from less serious EV brands, but it seems like it could be better. And it’s certainly not as well-thought-out as the Lucid’s frunk, as far as we’ve seen anyway.
Finally, the EV9 display showed the potential to use the car for V2H. While Kias already have 1.9kW V2L capacity, the EV9 will be capable of V2H with an external unit from the company Wallbox. Kia told us this would be capable of 4-5kW (we didn’t get a specific number yet), and could power a home for multiple days off the car’s giant 76.1/99.8kWh battery (depending on options).
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BMW Motorrad’s futuristic electric scooter just got its first real refresh since beginning production in 2021. The BMW CE 04, already one of the most capable and stylish electric maxi-scooters on the market, now gets a set of upgraded trim options, new aesthetic touches, and a more robust list of features that aim to make this urban commuter even more appealing to riders looking for serious electric performance on two wheels.
The BMW CE 04 has always stood out for its sci-fi styling and high-performance drivetrain. It’s built on a mid-mounted liquid-cooled motor that puts out 31 kW (42 hp) and 62 Nm of torque. That’s enough to rocket the scooter from 0 to 50 km/h (31 mph) in just 2.6 seconds – quite fast for anything with a step-through frame.
The top speed is electronically limited to 120 km/h (75 mph), making it perfectly capable for city riding and fast enough to hold its own on highway stretches. Range is rated at 130 km (81 miles) on the WMTC cycle, thanks to the 8.9 kWh battery pack tucked low in the frame.
But while the core performance hasn’t changed, BMW’s 2025 update focuses on refining the package and giving riders more options to tailor the scooter to their taste. The new CE 04 is available in three trims: Basic, Avantgarde, and Exclusive.
The Basic trim keeps things clean and classic with a Lightwhite paint scheme and a clear windshield. It’s subtle, sleek, and very much in line with the CE 04’s clean-lined aesthetic. The Avantgarde model adds a splash of color with a Gravity Blue main body and bright São Paulo Yellow accents, along with a dark windshield and a laser-engraved rim. The top-shelf Exclusive trim is where things get fancy, with a premium Spacesilver metallic paint job, upgraded wind protection, heated grips, a luxury embroidered seat, and its own unique engraved rim treatment.
There are also a few new tech upgrades baked into the options list. Riders can now spec a 6.9 kW quick charger that reduces the 0–80% charge time to just 45 minutes (down from nearly 4 hours with the standard 2.3 kW onboard charger). Tire pressure monitoring, a center stand, and BMW’s “Headlight Pro” adaptive lighting system are also available as add-ons, along with an emergency eCall system and Dynamic Traction Control.
BMW has kept the core riding components in place: a steel-tube chassis, 15-inch wheels, Bosch ABS (with optional ABS Pro), and the impressive 10.25” TFT display with integrated navigation and smartphone connectivity. The under-seat storage still swallows a full-face helmet, and the long, low frame design means the scooter looks like something out of Blade Runner but rides like a luxury commuter.
With these updates, BMW seems to be further cementing the CE 04’s role at the high end of the electric scooter market. It’s not cheap, starting around €12,000 in Europe and around US $12,500 in the US, with prices going up from there depending on configuration. However, the maxi-scooter delivers real motorcycle-grade performance in a package that’s easier to live with for daily riders.
Electrek’s Take
I believe that the CE 04’s biggest strength has always been that it’s not trying to be a toy or a gimmick. It’s a real vehicle. Sure, it’s futuristic and funky looking, but it delivers on its promises. And in a market that’s still surprisingly sparse when it comes to premium electric scooters, BMW has had the lane mostly to itself. That may not last forever, though. LiveWire, Harley-Davidson’s electric spin-off brand, has teased plans for a maxi-scooter-style urban electric vehicle in the coming years, but as of now, it remains something of an undefined future plan.
Meanwhile, BMW is delivering not just a concept bike but a mature, well-equipped, and ready-to-ride electric scooter that keeps improving. For riders who want something faster and more capable than a Class 3 e-bike but aren’t ready to jump to a full-size electric motorcycle, the CE 04 hits a sweet spot. It delivers the performance and capability of a commuter e-motorcycle, yet with the approachability of a scooter. And with these new trims and upgrades, it’s doing it with even more style.
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If you’ve ever wondered what happens when you combine a fruit cart, a cargo bike, and a Piaggio Ape all in one vehicle, now you’ve got your answer. I submit, for your approval, this week’s feature for the Awesomely Weird Alibaba Electric Vehicle of the Week column – and it’s a beautiful doozie.
Feast your eyes on this salad slinging, coleslaw cruising, tuber taxiing produce chariot!
I think this electric vegetable trike might finally scratch the itch long felt by many of my readers. It seems every time I cover an electric trike, even the really cool ones, I always get commenters poo-poo-ing it for having two wheels in the rear instead of two wheels in the front. Well, here you go, folks!
Designed with two front wheels for maximum stability, this trike keeps your cucumbers in check through every corner. Because trust me, you don’t want to hit a pothole and suddenly be juggling peaches like you’re in Cirque du Soleil: Farmers Market Edition.
To avoid the extra cost of designing a linked steering system for a pair of front wheels, the engineers who brought this salad shuttle to life simply side-stepped that complexity altogether by steering the entire fixed front end. I’ve got articulating electric tractors that steer like this, and so if it works for a several-ton work machine, it should work for a couple hundred pounds of cargo bike.
Featuring a giant cargo bed up front with four cascading fruit baskets set up for roadside sales, this cargo bike is something of a blank slate. Sure, you could monetize grandma’s vegetable garden, or you could fill it with your own ideas and concoctions. Our exceedingly talented graphics wizard sees it as the perfect coffee and pastry e-bike for my new startup, The Handlebarista, and I’m not one to argue. Basically, the sky is the limit with a blank slate bike like this!
Sure, the quality doesn’t quite match something like a fancy Tern cargo bike. The rim brakes aren’t exactly confidence-inspiring, but at least there are three of them. And if they should all give out, or just not quite slow you down enough to avoid that quickly approaching brick wall, then at least you’ve got a couple hundred pounds of tomatoes as a tasty crumple zone.
The electrical system does seem a bit underpowered. With a 36V battery and a 250W motor, I don’t know if one-third of a horsepower is enough to haul a full load to the local farmer’s market. But I guess if the weight is a bit much for the little motor, you could always do some snacking along the way. On the other hand, all the pictures seem to show a non-electric version. So if this cart is presumably mobile on pedal power alone, then that extra motor assist, however small, is going to feel like a very welcome guest.
The $950 price is presumably for the electric version, since that’s what’s in the title of the listing, though I wouldn’t get too excited just yet. I’ve bought a LOT of stuff on Alibaba, including many electric vehicles, and the too-good-to-be-true price is always exactly that. In my experience, you can multiply the Alibaba price by 3-4x to get the actual landed price for things like these. Even so, $3,000-$4,000 wouldn’t be a terrible price, considering a lot of electric trikes stateside already cost that much and don’t even come with a quad-set of vegetable baskets on board!
I should also put my normal caveat in here about not actually buying one of these. Please, please don’t try to buy one of these awesome cargo e-trikes. This is a silly, tongue-in-cheek weekend column where I scour the ever-entertaining underbelly of China’s massive e-commerce site Alibaba in search of fun, quirky, and just plain awesomely weird electric vehicles. While I’ve successfully bought several fun things on the platform, I’ve also gotten scammed more than once, so this is not for the timid or the tight-budgeted among us.
That isn’t to say that some of my more stubborn readers haven’t followed in my footsteps before, ignoring my advice and setting out on their own wild journey. But please don’t be the one who risks it all and gets nothing in return. Don’t say I didn’t warn you; this is the warning.
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