Kia shatters US sales record again with its first three-row electric SUV picking up steam
Kia just set another US sales record in August, with more cars sold than in any month in company history. As demand for its first three-row electric SUV, the EV9, continues to build, Kia’s EV sales climbed 27% from last year.
“Kia’s dealer sales were higher than any month in company history,” Kia America’s vice president of sales, Eric Watson, announced Wednesday.
With over 75,200 vehicles sold in August, Kia broke its US sales record for the second consecutive month.
Kia credited higher demand for SUVs and EVs for the record-breaking performance. One bright spot was Kia’s first three-row electric SUV, the EV9.
The addition of the EV9 pushed Kia’s EV sales up 27% compared to last year. With another 2,388 EV9 models sold in August, Kia EV9 sales reached 13,874 through the first eight months of 2024.
Despite sales of its first dedicated electric car, the EV6, slipping 23% last month, they are still up 13% YTD with 14,373 units sold through August.
The lower sales come as the EV6 is being updated. Kia already launched the refreshed EV6 in Korea and the UK with a sleek new front-end design and even more range.
Kia’s EV6 is already among the most efficient EVs in the US, rated with up to 310 miles range. However, a bigger (84 kWh vs 77.4 kWh), more efficient battery, will push that number even higher.
Kia breaks US sales record as EVs gain momentum
Kia is expected to launch the new EV6 in the US by the end of the year. It will follow Hyundai, which revealed its updated IONIQ 5 this week.
The company remains optimistic for the remainder of the year, with new models hitting the market. Kia continues building demand with affordable, long-range, fast-charging electric vehicles like the EV9 and EV6.
Starting at $56,395 (including destination fee), Kia calls the EV9 a wake-up call to the industry. Meanwhile, US automakers like Ford and GM continue pushing back major EV initiatives, giving Kia an opportunity to continue stealing market share.
With the first EV9 rolling off the assembly line at Kia’s West Point, GA plant in June (the first EV fully assembled in the state), the EV9 qualifies for the $7,500 tax credit.
|
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 |
The tax credit brings prices down to potentially under $49,000. A fully electric, three-row SUV for under $50,000 is a steal. Not to mention, it’s also loaded with Kia’s next-gen infotainment and software.
Ready to see why Kia continues to shatter US sales records? You can use our links below to view Kia’s electric vehicles and find deals in your area.
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Environment
Baidu- and Geely-backed JiYue brand unveils ROBO X EV that goes 0-100 km/h in under 1.9 sec
JiYue, a Chinese EV brand focused on delivering all-electric “robocars” to the masses, has unveiled its latest model, and it’s quite a deviation from its previous EVs—but in the best way. Earlier today, JiYue launched the ROBO X supercar, designed for high-speed racing. By high speed, we mean 0-100 km/h acceleration in under 1.9 seconds. My mouth is watering.
JiYue has only existed since 2021, when parent tech company Baidu announced it was expanding from software development into physical EV production, joining forces with multinational automotive manufacturer Geely.
The new “robotic EV” marque initially launched as JIDU with $300 million in startup capital before garnering an additional $400 million in Series A funding, led by Baidu, in January 2022.
In August 2023, Geely took on a larger role in JIDU alongside a greater financial stake as the brand reimagined itself as JiYue, inheriting the JIDU logo and its flagship model, the 01 ROBOCAR.
In December 2023, Baidu and Geely unveiled a second model called the JiYue 07. It was born from JIDU’s ROBO-02 concept, which debuted in 2023 and was designed to compete against the Tesla Model 3 in China.
The 07 finally launched in China earlier this year with 545 miles of range. With an all-electric SUV and sedan on the market, JiYue has unveiled an exciting new entry in the form of a performance supercar called the ROBO X. Check it out:
JiYue’s new ROBO X EV is available for pre-order now
JiYue showcased its new ROBO X hypercar in front of the crowd at the 2024 Guangzhou Auto Show earlier today. Similar to previous models but with a unique spin, JiYue described the ROBO X as an AI smart-driving supercar that, for the first time, blends artificial intelligence and autonomous driving into a high-performance, race-ready EV.
When we say “high performance,” we mean a quad motor liquid-cooled drive system that can propel the ROBO X from 0 to 100 km/h (0 to 62 mph) in under 1.9 seconds. JiYue called the new ROBO X a “performance beast” with “the perfect balance of excellent aerodynamic performance and high downforce.” JiYue CEO Joe Xia was even bolder in his statements about the ROBO X:
For the next 20 years, the design of supercars will bear the shadow of Robo X. This is the best design in the history of Chinese automobiles today, and it is a landmark presence.
Fighter-style airflow ducts bolster the EV’s aerodynamics, efficiency, and overall posture. Per JiYue, the two-seater ROBO X is expected to deliver a maximum range of over 650 km (404 miles).
The new supercar features falcon-wing doors, a carbon fiber integrated frame, and a professional racing HALO safety system offering 360° of support. The interior features an AI smart cockpit with SIMO real-time feedback to give drivers an immersive racing experience.
Furthermore, JiYue said the vehicle will utilize parent company Baidu’s Apollo self-driving technology, which could make it the first electric supercar to apply pure-vision ADAS technology that enables track-level autonomous driving.
Following today’s unveiling of the ROBO X, JiYue has officially opened up pre-orders in China for RMB 49,999 ($6,915). That said, reservation holders will need to be patient as JiYue shared that it doesn’t expect to begin mass production of the ROBO X until 2027.
What do you think? Will people be talking about the ROBO X for the next 20 years?
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This week on Electrek’s Wheel-E podcast, we discuss the most popular news stories from the world of electric bikes and other nontraditional electric vehicles. This time, that includes the launch of the Lectric XPedition 2.0, Yamaha e-bikes pulling out of North America, LiveWire unveils an electric scooter concept, PNY readying its cargo e-scooters for pilot testing, Royal Enfield’s first electric motorcycle, and more.
The Wheel-E podcast returns every two weeks on Electrek’s YouTube channel, Facebook, Linkedin, and Twitter.
As a reminder, we’ll have an accompanying post, like this one, on the site with an embedded link to the live stream. Head to the YouTube channel to get your questions and comments in.
After the show ends, the video will be archived on YouTube and the audio on all your favorite podcast apps:
We also have a Patreon if you want to help us to avoid more ads and invest more in our content. We have some awesome gifts for our Patreons and more coming.
Here are a few of the articles that we will discuss during the Wheel-E podcast today:
Here’s the live stream for today’s episode starting at 9:30 a.m. ET (or the video after 10:30 a.m. ET):
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Crude oil futures were on pace Friday for loss for the week, as a supply gut and a strong dollar depresses the market.
U.S. crude oil is down more than 2% this week, while Brent has shed nearly 2%.
Here are Friday’s energy prices:
- West Texas Intermediate December contract: $68.56 per barrel, down 14 cents, or 0.2%. Year to date, U.S. crude oil has shed about 4%.
- Brent January contract: $72.36 per barrel, down 20 cents, or 0.28%. Year to date, the global benchmark has lost nearly 6%.
- RBOB Gasoline December contract: $1.99 per gallon, up 0.46%. Year to date, gasoline has fallen more than 1%.
- Natural Gas December contract: $2.70 per thousand cubic feet, down 2.98%. Year to date, gas has gained more than 4%.
The International Energy Agency has forecast a surplus of more than 1 million barrels per day in 2025 on robust production in the U.S. OPEC revised down its demand forecast for the fourth consecutive month as demand in China remains soft.
A strong dollar also hangs over the market, as the greenback has surged in the wake of President-elect Donald Trump’s election victory.
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