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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Chinese carmaker XPeng is getting perilously close to bringing its AeroHT consumer eVTOL concept to market, thanks to a $250 million Series B round that’s set to accelerate the company’s modular “flying car” production plans.
XPeng subsidiary AeroHT had its first successful proof of concept test flight ahead of the brand’s annual 1024 back in 2023, where the company unveiled a pair of flying car designs. The X3 is an actual flying “car” that can drive, park, and take off on its own, and a second, modular eVTOL that folds up into the back of an electric van called the Land Aircraft Carrier.
That vehicle pair, shown at CES in January, was set to begin production this year, with the eVTOL component set to begin production in 2026 – and that’s looking a lot more likely thanks to the new infusion of capital!
AeroHT at CES 2025
Xpeng Aeroht raised $150 million in Series B1 funding last August, before launching its Series B2 funding round. The most recent announcement that the company has secured an additional $100 million in its Series B2 funding round brings the total amount raised to more than $750 million, with a $1B pre-revenue valuation.
CNEVPost reports that company aims to establish itself as a commercial pioneer in urban air mobility ahead of a potential IPO – and may get there sooner than later, thanks to several hundred pre-orders at the $280,000 projected price.
Electrek’s Take
Scooter Doll said it best, writing, “this footage (of the AeroHT test flight) is as scary and concerning as it is exciting and awe-inspiring.” Which is to say that these things are real, they seem like they’re getting built, and they seem like they’ll sell well enough to convince at least one or two remaining boomers that the flying car they’ve been promised their whole lives is – finally! – coming to market.
Here’s hoping.
SOURCE: Xpeng, via CNEVPost; gallery photos by the author.
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Flooring manufacturer Beauflor USA just turned on the biggest rooftop solar system by capacity in metro Atlanta — and it’s now powering part of its Georgia factory.
The new 1,040 kW system in Cartersville officially beats metro Atlanta’s previous rooftop solar record of 1,034 kW. The new array produces enough energy to power more than 100 homes. The system is expected to cover about 10% of Beauflor’s electricity needs and cut its carbon emissions by about 920 metric tons annually.
“This solar installation represents our commitment to sustainable manufacturing practices while making sound business decisions,” said Emile Coopman, continuous improvement manager at Beauflor. He added that the system is designed with room to grow: “This is the first step toward more renewable energy.”
The company partnered with Cherry Street Energy to install the nearly 2,000-panel system, which was completed in less than four months. Cherry Street invested $1.8 million into the project and is covering all construction and maintenance costs through a 30-year energy procurement agreement. Beauflor will buy solar power directly from Cherry Street, allowing it to avoid upfront capital costs while still lowering its energy bills.
“As Georgia’s manufacturers ramp up production amid rising costs for grid energy, sophisticated operators seek ways to quickly and sustainably address their energy needs,” said Cherry Street CEO Michael Chanin. “On-site solar with no capital expense delivers just that: reliable, affordable electricity.”
Chanin added that the system’s power output is especially impressive: “The previous record-holder for metro Atlanta’s largest rooftop solar required over 4,000 panels. We’re using less than 2,000 to reliably generate even more power.”
Read more: This is New Jersey’s largest high-rise residential rooftop solar array
The 30% federal solar tax credit is ending this year. If you’ve ever considered going solar, now’s the time to act. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.
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Jack Dorsey, co-founder and chief executive officer of Twitter Inc. and Square Inc., listens during the Bitcoin 2021 conference in Miami, Florida, on Friday, June 4, 2021.
Eva Marie Uzcategui | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Block shares jumped more than 10% in extended trading on Friday, as the fintech company gets set to join the S&P 500, replacing Hess.
It’s the second change to the benchmark this week, after S&P Global announced on Monday that ad-tech firm The Trade Desk would be added to the S&P 500. Trade Desk is taking the place of software maker Ansys, which was acquired by Synopsys in a deal that closed Thursday.
Hess’ departure comes just after Chevron completed its $54 billion purchase of the oil producer, prevailing against Exxon Mobil in a legal dispute over offshore oil assets in the South American nation of Guyana.
Block will officially join the S&P 500 before the opening of trading on July 23, according to a statement from S&P. Stocks often rally when they’re added to a major index, as fund managers need to rebalance their portfolios to reflect the changes.
Most alterations to the S&P 500 take place during the index’s quarterly rebalancing. However, in the case of the closing of an acquisition, a company can be removed from the index and replaced off schedule. Last week monitoring software company Datadog took Juniper Networks’ place in the S&P 500 as part of the index’s quarterly change.
Block’s addition brings further tech heft to an index that’s been steadily moving in that direction in recent years, reflecting the market cap gains of companies across the sector. Block, which gained popularity as Square due to the rapid growth of the company’s payment terminals, has expanded into crypto, lending and other financial services.
Founded by Jack Dorsey in 2009, Square changed its name to Block in 2021 to emphasize its focus on blockchain technologies.
Block shares are down 14% this year, underperforming the broader U.S. market. The Nasdaq is up more than 8%, while the S&P 500 has gained 7%. Still, with a market cap of about $45 billion, Block is valued well above the median company in the index.
In May, Block reported first-quarter results that missed Wall Street expectations on Thursday and issued a disappointing outlook, leading to a plunge in the stock price. Block’s forecast for the second quarter and full year reflected challenging economic conditions that followed sweeping tariff announcements by President Donald Trump.
“We recognize we are operating in a more dynamic macro environment, so we have reflected a more cautious stance on the macro outlook into our guidance for the rest of the year,” the company wrote in its quarterly report.
The company is scheduled to report second-quarter results after the close of regular trading on Aug. 7.
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