A new Hyundai three-row electric SUV is set to hit the US market. Ahead of its official debut, the Hyundai IONIQ 9 was caught testing in the US. From the looks of it, the electric SUV looks even bigger and bolder in person.
Hyundai is already outpacing rivals in the US with its wide-ranging lineup of affordable, efficient EVs, including the IONIQ 5, IONIQ 6, and Kona Electric.
After EV sales surged 62% in the first three months of the year, setting new Q1 IONIQ 5 and Kona Electric records, Hyundai looks to keep the momentum rolling. Hyundai Motor America CEO Randy Parker said, “Demand for our vehicles, especially EVs, remains high” after the record-setting performance.
In a recent interview with Electrek, Parker said Hyundai is “sticking to its strategy” despite rivals like Ford and GM rethinking EV plans. Electric vehicles remain a core part of Hyundai’s strategy.
According to data from the US Department of Energy, Hyundai has six of the top ten most fuel-efficient EVs in the US this year. The 2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Long Range RWD (w/ 18″ wheels) placed first, topping the Lucid Air Pure with 140 MPGe (combined).
The redesigned 2024 Kona Electric (Long Range) and IONIQ 5 (Long Range RWD) also made the list.
Hyundai IONIQ 9 (SEVEN Concept) ahead of the IONIQ 6 and IONIQ 5 (Source: Hyundai)
Hyundai IONIQ 9 shown in new US testing video
Part of Hyundai’s plans to keep the ball rolling is a new, larger electric SUV to sit above the IONIQ 5.
Although it was initially expected to be called the IONIQ 7, Hyundai’s first three-row electric SUV is expected to go by the IONIQ 9.
Hyundai IONIQ 9 (SEVEN Concept) (Source: Hyundai)
When asked about the IONIQ 9 hitting the US market, Parker told Electrek, “It’s definitely coming,” but no new details were offered. The Hyundai IONIQ 9 has been spotted testing several times ahead of its official debut.
Most recently, a new video from Kindel Auto shows the Hyundai IONIQ 9 testing in the US. The video shows the electric SUV’s big body as it passes by.
Hyundai IONIQ 9 spotted testing in the US (Source: Kindel Auto/ YouTube)
You can also see what appears to be Hyundai’s signature pixelated LED headlights, similar to the IONIQ 5/6 models. It also has stacked LED rear taillights.
Hyundai’s IONIQ 9 could be larger than the new Kia EV9 at 197.2″ long, 77.9″ wide, and 70.1″ tall (with roof rails)
The IONIQ 9 was spotted a few months ago beside a Kia EV9. According to the reporters, the IONIQ 9 appeared slightly larger and “very full” up front. Meanwhile, with a more sloped A-pillar, Hyundai’s electric SUV seemed less boxy than the EV9.
Kia EV9 GT-Line (Source: Kia)
With 42.8″ of legroom, the EV9 already has more than the Cadillac Escalade and 3-row Range Rover P400. Can Hyundai’s IONIQ 9 top it?
The IONIQ 9 is expected to be built at Hyundai’s new $7.6 billion EV Metaplant in Georgia. Once up and running, Hyundai expects EVs made at the facility to qualify for the $7,500 federal tax credit, which should boost Hyundai’s competitiveness in the US market.
Hyundai’s three-row electric SUV will compete with the Rivian R1S, Kia EV9, Volvo EX90, and others in the segment.
What do you think? Would you choose Hyundai’s IONIQ 9 over the competitors? Let us know in the comments.
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A team of white hat European hackers using their brains, keyboards, and a couple of bits and baubles from eBay managed to take control of a 2020 Nissan LEAF and violate just about every privacy and safety regulation in the process.
The best part: they recorded the whole thing.
Budapest-based cybersecurity experts PCAutomotive were able to exploit a number of vulnerabilities in a 2020 Nissan LEAF that enabled the white hat team to geolocate and track the car, record the texts and conversations happening inside the car, playing media back through the car’s speakers, and even (this is the genuinely terrifying dangerous part) turning the steering wheel while the car was moving. (!?)
Maybe the scariest part of this hack, however, is how seemingly easy it was to pull off by starting with a “test bench simulator” built using parts from eBay and exploiting a vulnerability in the LEAF’s DNS C2 channel and Bluetooth protocol.
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The PCAutomotive team gave a hugely detailed 118-page presentation of their exploit at black hat Asia 2025, which we’ve included at the bottom of this post, in case the original link goes dead. If you’re into that sort of thing, the fun stuff starts around page 27. And, if you’re not, just know that all the vulnerabilities were disclosed to Nissan and its suppliers between 02AUG2023 and 12SEP2024 (p. 116/118), and the “attack” itself can be seen in the video below that. Enjoy!
Summary of vulnerabilities
CVE-2025-32056 – Anti-Theft bypass
CVE-2025-32057 – app_redbend: MiTM attack
CVE-2025-32058 – v850: Stack Overflow in CBR processing
CVE-2025-32059 – Stack buffer overflow leading to RCE [0]
CVE-2025-32060 – Absence of a kernel module signature verification
CVE-2025-32061 – Stack buffer overflow leading to RCE [1]
CVE-2025-32062 – Stack buffer overflow leading to RCE [2]
PCA_NISSAN_009 – Improper traffic filtration between CAN buses
CVE-2025-32063 – Persistence for Wi-Fi network
PCA_NISSAN_012 – Persistence through CVE-2017-7932 in HAB of i.MX 6
Unfortunately, this is also one of those posts that some of the more clueless anti-EV hysterics will point to and say, “See!? EVs can get hacked!” But the reality is that virtually any car with electric power steering (EPS), electronic throttle controls, brake-by-wire, etc. can be hacked in a similar way. But, while steering a target’s car into an oncoming semi might be a great way to pull off a covert CIA assassination, the more worrying issue here is the breach of privacy and recording – unless you want to spend some time in El Salvadoran prison, I guess.
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A major new EV battery factory is being built in Sunderland, bringing 1,000 new jobs with it. AESC, Nissan’s battery partner, is behind the £1 billion ($1.33 billion) plant, which will boost the UK’s EV battery production by six times, enough to power 100,000 electric cars annually.
The 12 GWh capacity plant, AESC’s second battery plant in Sunderland, will be powered by 100% net-zero carbon energy. That big jump in capacity helps position Britain as a global player in EV manufacturing while pushing forward the country’s net-zero goals.
The investment is getting a serious financial lift from the British government. Through a combination of support from the National Wealth Fund and UK Export Finance, the project is unlocking £680 million in financing from major banks, including HSBC, Standard Chartered, SMBC Group, Societe Generale, and BBVA, that covers the construction and operation of the battery factory. Another £320 million is coming from private investment and fresh equity from AESC. On top of all that, the government’s Automotive Transformation Fund is pitching in with £150 million in grant funding.
This deal follows closely on the heels of the new UK-US trade agreement announced a day earlier, which cuts car export tariffs from 27.5% down to 10% for up to 100,000 UK-made vehicles – nearly the total number exported last year. That move could save car companies hundreds of millions of pounds and help protect good-paying jobs in manufacturing hubs like Sunderland.
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Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves visited AESC in Sunderland, where she met with staff and local leaders to discuss what this means for the Northeast and the British car industry.
“This investment follows hot on the heels of yesterday’s landmark economic deal with the US, which will save thousands of jobs in the industry,” Reeves said.
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It’s about the future of their jobs. Ford workers at two plants in western Germany are set to go on strike on Wednesday, their works council chief said on Monday.
Ford is facing a worker strike in Germany
In November, Ford announced it would cut around 4,000 jobs in Europe by 2027 as part of a restructuring, primarily in Germany and the UK. That’s still about 14% of its European workforce.
The American automaker said the move comes after it has incurred “significant losses” in recent years and a “highly disruptive market” with new EVs quickly gaining market share.
Ford blamed slower-than-expected demand for electric vehicles and a weak economic situation. It also plans to slow production at its Cologne EV plant, where the electric Explorer and Capri are built.
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Last week, IG Metall members voted in favor of “industrial action” with 93.5% of votes in favor of a strike. “Ford must act now—otherwise, we will go through with it,” said Kerstin D. Klein, Chief Representative of IG Metall Cologne-Leverkusen.
Ford Explorer EV production in Cologne (Source: Ford)
Ford is facing an influx of new competition, including Chinese EV makers like BYD. BYD’s overseas sales are surging with a fifth straight month of growth in April.
BYD even outsold Tesla in Germany last month, with 1,566 vehicles registered. In comparison, Tesla had just 855, and Ford saw 9,534 registrations.
Ford’s electric vehicles in Europe from left to right: Puma Gen-E, Explorer, Capri, and Mustang Mach-E (Source: Ford)
On top of this, Ford, like most of the industry, is preparing for more disruption with Trump’s auto tariffs. After releasing Q1 earnings last week, Ford warned that the tariffs could cost up to $2.5 billion this year.
During Ford’s earnings call, CFO Sherry House said that recent EV launches in Europe, including the Explorer, Capri, and Puma Gen-E, helped more than double Model e’s wholesale volume in Q1.
After early success in the US, Ford also launched its “Power Promise” promotion in Europe, offering EV buyers a free home charger and several other perks.