Kia’s new three-row electric SUV is gaining momentum in the US. Over 1,400 Kia EV9 models were handed over in January, topping the EV6 in US sales.
Kia EV9 outpaces EV6 despite record sales month
Kia started the year strong, with EV sales growing 57% YOY. A big reason behind Kia’s success is the launch of its first three-row electric SUV, the EV9.
After launching the EV9 (see our review) in December, Kia sold 1,408 models last month. That’s up 27% from the 1,113 handed over the month before. Kia’s electric SUV even outsold Toyota’s sole EV, the bZ4X, in its first sales month.
Although Kia’s EV6 had a record January with 1,213 units sold, the new EV9 is already outpacing it as the brand expands into new segments.
Eric Watson, vice president of sales at Kia America, said, “Kia will charge ahead in 2024,” with several new or redesigned vehicles rolling out.
After opening EV9 pre-orders in October, Kia said the electric SUV received reservations in all 50 states less than two months later.
2024 Kia EV9 GT Line (Source: Kia)
Kia calls the EV9’s $54,900 (not including destination) starting price an industry “wake-up call.” The EV9 is slightly bigger than Kia’s Telluride at 197.2″ long but is about the same height.
The EV9 features “true SUV capabilities,” according to Kia, with seating for up to seven, more cargo room than the Range Rover P400 3-Row, 7.9″ of ground clearance, and up to 304 miles EPA range.
With 42.8″ of 2nd-row legroom, the EV9 tops rivals, including the Cadillac Escalade, Land Rover Range Rover P400 3-Row, and Mercedes EQS SUV. The third row also includes more shoulder and hip room than the Tesla’s Model X.
2024 Kia EV9 GT-Line (Source: Kia)
With up to 350 kW DC fast charging, the EV9 can charge from 10% to 80% in 24 minutes. The interior includes Kia’s next-gen ccNC infotainment with dual 12.3″ screens and an added 5″ HVAC screen.
Kia’s electric SUV comes in five trims. The base Light RWD EV9 starts at $54,900 (not including destination) with up to 230 miles EPA range.
Kia EV9 Trim
MSRP (including $1,495 destination fee)
EPA Est. Range (miles)
Light RWD
$56,395
230
Light Long Range RWD
$60,695
304
Wind e-AWD
$65,395
280
Land e-AWD
$71,395
280
GT-Line e-AWD
$73,900
270
2024 Kia EV9 trim prices and range
Although the Light Long Range RWD is over $4,000 more, you gain an extra 74 miles range (compared to the Light RWD).
Kia is building the EV9 in South Korea, but production is slated to move to its West Point, GA, plant early this year to take advantage of the federal tax credit.
For now, Kia continues offering the $7,500 EV tax credit through leasing. This makes the electric SUV cheaper than most rivals and will likely help drive Kia EV9 sales growth in 2024.
Electrek’s Take
At under $55,000, the EV9 is one of the cheapest three-row electric SUV’s on the market. It undercuts the Volvo EX90 ($77,000), Rivian R1S ($78,000), BWM iX ($87,000), and Tesla Model X ($79,990).
Kia’s EV9 is also competitively priced with Tesla’s top-selling Model Y. With the optional 7-seat layout (+$3,000), Tesla’s Model Y is around $52,000. That’s with up to 310 miles EPA range (Model Y Long Range). However, Kia’s EV9 is much larger and has more head and legroom.
At around $20,000 less than the competition, Kia’s EV9 looks like a steal. If you’ve been eyeing Kia’s new three-row electric SUV, we can help you start shopping today. You can use our link to find the best deals on the 2024 Kia EV9 at a dealer near you.
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Germany’s largest offshore wind farm under construction, EnBW’s He Dreiht, just hit a big milestone: The first enormous turbine is now up in the North Sea.
He Dreiht – which means “it spins” in Low German – is using Vestas’s massive 15 megawatt (MW) turbines, the first project in the world to install them. Just one spin of one of the rotors can generate enough electricity to power four households for an entire day.
When it’s finished, He Dreiht will have 64 mega turbines cranking out 960 megawatts (MW) of clean power – enough to supply around 1.1 million homes. And it’s being built without any government subsidies.
EnBW, one of Germany’s major energy companies, has been working in offshore wind for more than 15 years, but He Dreiht is their biggest project yet. “It will play a key role in helping us to significantly grow our renewable energy output from 6.6 GW to over 10 GW by 2030,” said Michael Class, who heads up EnBW’s generation portfolio development.
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The project is a win for Vestas, too. “With the installation of the first V236-15.0 MW, we have reached an important milestone for both the He Dreiht project and our offshore ramp-up, which helps Germany build a more secure, affordable, and sustainable energy system,” said Nils de Baar, president of Vestas Northern & Central Europe.
He Dreiht is located about 85 kilometers (53 miles) northwest of Borkum and 110 kilometers (68 miles) west of Helgoland. At peak times, more than 500 workers will be out at sea building the farm, using a fleet of more than 60 ships. EnBW’s offshore team in Hamburg is running the show.
The installation process is a major operation. The 64 foundations were already set in the seabed last year. Parts for the turbines are loaded onto the installation vessel Wind Orca in Esbjerg, Denmark, and shipped out in a 12-hour journey to the construction site. From there, the turbines are lifted into place. Meanwhile, crews are also working on internal wind farm cabling.
A partner consortium made up of Allianz Capital Partners, AIP, and Norges Bank Investment Management owns 49.9% of the shares in He Dreiht.
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Tesla has released a quick update about its Tesla Semi factory in Nevada. It says that it is on track for volume production of the electric semi truck in 2026.
The Tesla Semi was first scheduled to go into production in 2019, but it has faced numerous delays.
Now, it appears that there is finally some momentum to bring it to volume production.
For the last two years, Tesla has been working to build a new factory next to Gigafactory Nevada, where it builds the battery packs and drive units for most of its electric vehicles built in North America.
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Today, Tesla released a “progress update on the factory, confirming that it finished building and it’s now working on deploying the production lines:
Tesla had previously mentioned aiming for volume production by 2025, but it is now only talking about starting production toward the end of the year and ramping up next year.
The automaker reiterated its planned production capacity of 50,000 units.
They now expect to take deliveries of their first trucks later in 2026 and said that the price has increased “dramatically,” leading them to scale back their pilot program from 42 to 18 Tesla Semi trucks.
When originally unveiling the Tesla Semi in 2017, the automaker mentioned prices of $150,000 for a 300-mile range truck and $180,000 for the 500-mile version. Tesla also took orders for a “Founder’s Series Semi” at $200,000.
However, Tesla didn’t update the prices when launching the “production version” of the truck in late 2022. Price increases have been speculated, but the company has never confirmed them.
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Vietnamese solar panel maker Boviet Solar just opened the doors to its first US factory — a huge new PV module plant in Greenville, North Carolina.
The company dropped $294 million into the state-of-the-art facility, which will pump out Boviet’s Gamma Series monofacial and Vega Series bifacial solar panels. They’re using advanced PERC and N-Type solar cell tech, which basically means these panels are built to deliver higher efficiency and better performance across residential, commercial, industrial, and utility-scale projects.
The Greenville factory’s first phase is now online with an annual PV module output capacity of 2 gigawatts (GW). For Phase 2, which is scheduled to come online in the second half of 2026, Boviet will invest another $100 million to add 600,000 square feet and ramp up to another 2 GW. It will make high-efficiency solar cells.
Once both phases are complete, Boviet’s campus will cover more than 1 million square feet of manufacturing and R&D space. It’s one of the biggest clean energy manufacturing projects North Carolina has ever seen.
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The jobs impact is significant, too. The first phase will create 460 skilled local jobs. Phase 2 is expected to add another 908, bringing the total to over 1,300 direct jobs, plus nearly 2,000 more indirect jobs across the region. That’s good news for Pitt County’s economy, real estate market, and workforce training programs.
“This facility is not just creating jobs, but creating opportunity, innovation, and a stronger foundation for eastern North Carolina,” said Senator Kandie Smith. Governor Josh Stein added that Boviet Solar’s move shows how North Carolina is leading the way in clean energy growth.
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