Kia is opening reservations for its eagerly awaited flagship EV9 electric SUV in the US on October 16th. The EV9 is expected to attract significant interest as Kia’s first three-row electric SUV.
Kia is opening EV9 reservations on October 16th
“The Kia EV9 represents the future of sustainable mobility, and this reservation program will allow interested customers to be among the first in line for one of the most highly anticipated new vehicles to hit the U.S. market in years,” Steven Center, COO and EVP at Kia America explained this week.
Kia unveiled its largest electric SUV in March, previewing the automaker’s vision of the future with a trailblazing new design and premium tech features.
The EV9 will start at $54,900 (not including destination) and will be available in four trims: Light Long Range RWD, Wind AWD, Land AWD, and a sporty GT-Line AWD.
Reservations are expected to open within the next two weeks. Starting October 16 at 10 a.m. PST, those interested will have the opportunity to reserve Kia’s first three electric SUV.
Kia EV9 electric SUV (Source: Kia)
If you reserve the EV9 before November 27th, you will be eligible for a “suite of gifts,” including a Webasto Go Dual Voltage Portable EV Charger ($549 value), a complimentary three-year Kia maintenance plan, and one-year of available digital features and services.
The deal is good for purchases and leasing. In addition, all customers will receive a credit for 1,000 kWh of charging at Electrify America.
Kia says it expects “significant interest” in its EV9, and the reservation program is a way of celebrating early adopters.
If interested, you can visit Kia.com to design and reserve your EV9 with a $750 fully refundable payment placed with participating Kia dealers.
What to expect from Kia’s first three-row electric SUV
The EV9 “will deliver sought-after features packed into one powerhouse EV SUV,” according to the Kia.
Powered by Hyundai’s E-GMP platform (the same used for the IONIQ 5), the EV9 is the first model to use its fourth-generation battery tech. The 800V platform enables DC fast charging from 10% to 80% in under 25 minutes.
Kia included “true SUV capabilities,” like up to 5,000 lbs towing, 7.8 of ground clearance, and over 81 cu ft of cargo space behind the first row.
The EV9 is slightly longer than the Kia Telluride at 197.2″ in length, while they are nearly the same height (up to 70.1″) and width (77.9″). Even with its rugged, boxy design, the electric SUV features a drag coefficient of 0.28, beating out the Volvo EX90 at 0.29.
Kia EV9 interior (Source: Kia)
Kia included the latest in-vehicle tech, including its sixth-generation Connected Car Navigation Cockpit (ccNC) system. The new infotainment includes faster processing, easy accessibility, OTA updates, Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
At the center of the new system is an elliptical-shaped dash with a modern “floating” effect. A wide, single-panel panoramic display is featured on top with dual 12.3″ screens and a 5″ HVAC screen.
Underneath the screen are hidden switches for infotainment features. Meanwhile, physical buttons for volume, temperature, and fan speed are added for practicality.
Kia included over 20 ADAS features as standard, including an updated Forward-Avoidance Assist.
The EV9 will initially be built in South Korea and shipped to the US, with 2024 models expected to hit showrooms by the end of the year. Next year, Kia will move production to its West Point, Georgia, facility to take advantage of the EV tax credit provided by the IRA.
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Is this our first look at the Hyundai Crater in action? A new Hyundai EV was spotted testing with a unique design.
Is Hyundai testing a new off-road EV?
Hyundai is at it again. At the LA Auto Show last month, Hyundai unveiled the Crater Concept, a compact off-road electric SUV.
According to Hyundai, the Crater Concept “explores the next evolution” of its extreme-rugged-terrain (XRT) design, sharing design elements with other XRT models, like the IONIQ 5 XRT and Palisade XRT Pro.
Hyundai designed the compact SUV with one clear goal in mind: to create a rugged, capable vehicle that can go anywhere. Hyundai’s design team in Irvine, California, crafted it as the company pushes further into off-road, extreme vehicles.
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Hyundai’s design team added wide skid plates, 33″ off-road tires, tow hooks, limb risers, rocker panels, and a roof platform to give it a truly rugged, go-anywhere attitude.
Although Hyundai has yet to confirm it, the Crater is expected to come to life as a production model. A test car based on the Hyundai Kona was spotted driving in Korea, believed to be an early Crater test mule.
The Hyundai Crater Concept, a compact off-road electric SUV (Source: Hyundai)
The video from our friends at Healer TV shows the vehicle with a unique device mounted on the back, a raised suspension, new wheels, added tow hooks, and a light on the side.
With features similar to those of the Kia EV9 and Genesis GV70 test mules, the reporter believes “there’s a very good chance” the vehicle is an early Hyundai Crater test car.
From the back, you can clearly see the vehicle’s higher ground clearance, and it also has a towing device installed. The test mule does have mufflers, but many automakers, including Hyundai, test new vehicles with fake mufflers and other disguises to hide the design from the public.
Is this our first look at the Hyundai Crater in real life? Let us know your thoughts in the comments. We’ll likely find out more info soon. Check back for updates.
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Thanksgiving may be over, but that just means we’re moving into Cyber Monday savings! Today’s Green Deals are jam-packed with power station and e-bike savings, in particular, led by EcoFlow’s latest DELTA Pro Ultra X Portable Whole-Home Backup Power Station (as well as 18 additional series offers) with up to $13,289 exclusive savings to new low prices starting from $174 – plus, EcoFlow’s DELTA Pro Ultra solar bundle and the brand’s latest flash sale. From there, we have a rare sale from MOD Bikes, with the Easy 3 Cruiser e-bike back at a $2,199 low, among others, as well as Lectric’s Cyber Monday Sale, and new low prices on units from Anker SOLIX, Jackery, an EGO Multi-Head combo, and much more waiting for you below. And don’t forget about the hangover deals from last week alongside the latest deals from this week that are collected together in our Black Friday/Cyber Monday Green Deals hub, which we will continue to update through the rest of the week.
Score up to $13,289 exclusive Cyber Monday savings on EcoFlow’s DELTA Pro Ultra X power station + bundles, more from $174
For Cyber Monday, we’ve secured a very special exclusive code from Wellbots that saves our readers an additional 10% on a large selection of offers on EcoFlow’s latest (and largest) backup power solution, with the DELTA Pro Ultra X Portable Power Station (1x inverter + 2x batteries) for $7,199.10 shipped, after using the exclusive code 9TO5CMDPUX at checkout. This is the latest release from the brand, having opened for pre-sale discounts mid-October and officially hitting the market at the top of November carrying a $10,597 MSRP, which starts off lower at $8,299 here at Wellbots. Aside from the initial $1,000 pre-sale promotional discount, we’ve only seen this model taken down to $7,999 in early and full Black Friday sales from the brand, with this exclusive deal giving you a larger-than-ever, combined $1,100 off Wellbots’ starting rate ($3,398 off its MSRP) for the lowest price we have tracked. Head below to learn more about it and check out the 18 other offers for this system.
The EcoFlow DELTA Pro Ultra X power station is an even more capable home backup solution than its predecessor, starting with a 12,288Wh LiFePO4 battery capacity that can expand to 180kWh, which is twice as large a maximum as its predecessor’s final expanded capacity. Its power output also expands along with the system, going from 12,000W to 36,000W, complete with all the port options you could need to power devices, appliances, RVs, EVs, and much more. Among those options, you’ll also gain the greatest of the brand’s home backup capabilities here when paired alongside the Smart Home Panel 3 (which is included amongst the offers below).
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You’ll have plenty of options to recharge the station, including the usual AC outlet option, as well as with up to its 10,000W solar input max, gas generators, with a level 2 EV charging station, and through a Smart Home Panel from the grid or solar – or both simultaneously. Speaking of the Smart Home Panel 3, it’s a 200A hub for your home systems that covers up to 32 different circuits once installed, giving you emergency options to cut non-essential loads across your home should the grid ever go down unexpectedly.
***Note: Be sure to use the exclusive code 9TO5CMDPUX at checkout to score the additional 10% discount that gives you the prices seen below.
Exclusive Wellbots EcoFlow DELTA Pro Ultra X deals:
MOD Bikes offers rare Black Friday/Cyber Monday e-bike discounts to lows starting from $1,799 (Up to $400 off)
It’s the final day of MOD Bikes’ Black Friday/Cyber Monday Sale event with up to $400 rare discounts across its e-bike lineup, including one of my favorite rides of all time: the Easy 3 Cruiser e-bike at $2,199 shipped. There are also its sidecar counterparts, the Easy 3 SideCar e-bike at $3,499 shipped and the newer Easy SideCar Sahara also at $3,499 shipped – both down from $3,899. The standard Easy 3 e-bike dropped from its $3,499 MSRP to $2,399 during last year’s Black Friday season, which we stopped seeing the brand offer discounts for (alongside its entire lineup) back in spring, likely due to tariffs, but we’re getting a rare discount to its lowest tracked price here today, saving you $200 (and $400 off the SideCar variants to their lowest prices).
Get EcoFlow’s DELTA Pro Ultra power station + a FREE 400W solar panel at a new $3,449 Cyber Monday low ($2,350 off)
With Cyber Monday in full swing, over at Wellbots you can score the DELTA Pro Ultra Portable Whole-Home Backup Power Station with FREE 400W solar panel for $3,449.08 shipped, after using the code ECOBF8 at checkout, beating out the brand’s direct sale pricing that would cost you $4,178 with the event’s extra savings code. This monstrous bundle is dropping down from its $5,799 full price to $3,749, which already starts $50 under the previous low, but the deal gets all the sweeter thanks to the additional $300 that the extra savings code gets you. That’s $2,350 in total Cyber Monday savings, landing it at a new all-time low price.
The savings this week are also continuing to a collection of other markdowns. To the same tune as the offers above, these all help you take a more energy-conscious approach to your routine. Winter means you can lock in even better off-season price cuts on electric tools for the lawn while saving on EVs and tons of other gear.
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Lucid Motors (LCID) is calling out the competition after the 2026 Air remains the most efficient EV in the US according to new EPA rankings.
2026 Lucid Air remains most efficient EV in EPA rankings
It has been 9 years since Lucid introduced the +400-mile-range Air, its first luxury electric sedan. Since then, the California-based EV maker has come a long way, introducing its first electric SUV, the Gravity, and plans to launch a series of more affordable midsize vehicles, starting later next year.
Lucid’s former CEO, Peter Rawlinson, who was a top engineer at Tesla before joining the luxury EV startup in 2013, promised the company’s innovations would be “the key to unlocking greater efficiency,” and ultimately, more affordable vehicles.
Rawlinson was not kidding. The 2024 Lucid Air Pure was deemed the “world’s most efficient car” with a record 5 miles of range per kWh and a 146 MPGe rating, the highest rating ever given to an EV by the EPA.
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Even with a slate of new EVs hitting the market, many claiming next-level efficiency, the Lucid Air is still ahead of the pack.
The 2026 Lucid Air (Source: Lucid)
According to new EPA rankings, the 2026 Lucid Air Pure RWD (with 19″ wheels) remains the most efficient EV in the US with a 146 MPGe rating.
The Air beat out the 2026 Tesla Model Y Standard RWD (138 MPGe), 2026 Tesla Model 3 Premium RWD (137 MPGe), 2026 Toyota bZ (131 MPGe), and the 2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA250 Plus EV (126 MPGe).
Other automakers often tout EV range using lenient WLTP or CLTC test cycles, masking efficiency gaps and inflating expectations. Now that official U.S. EPA numbers are out, the story changes. Lucid Air delivers S-Class size with unmatched efficiency, going farther on less energy… pic.twitter.com/yqYHMgF4tm
Lucid’s communications boss, Nick Twork, shared the news on social media, saying the Air “delivers “S-Class size with unmatched efficiency.”
While many automakers tout EV range using more lenient WLTP or CLTC test cycles, Twork said Lucid’s advantage “comes from a holistic engineering approach” that was designed years ago and “still ahead of any passenger car sold today.”
Electrek’s Take
By developing electric vehicle components from the ground up, including the powertrain, battery systems, and software, Lucid has an advantage over many legacy automakers that rely on third parties to outsource.
For one, Lucid’s innovations are already driving down costs. The first Lucid Air Dream Edition, launched in 2021, started at $169,000. Today, you can snag the Lucid Air for as low as $70,900.
Lucid is now ramping production of its first electric SUV, the Gravity. Last month, it launched the lower-priced Gravity Touring trim, starting at $79,900.
Starting later next year, Lucid will begin production of its midsize platform, which will spawn at least three “top hats” priced around $50,000. The first will be a midsize crossover SUV, followed by a more rugged SUV that will share design clues from the Gravity X concept. Although it’s yet to be confirmed, the third is expected to be a midsize sedan that could go head-to-head with the Tesla Model 3.
Rawlinson previously said Lucid’s midsize vehicles are aimed “right in the heart of Tesla Model 3, Model Y territory.”
After reporting Q3 earnings last month, Lucid said it had enough liquidity to fund it through the first half of 2027 and confirmed it’s on track to begin production of the midsize platform in late 2026.
Ready to test Lucid’s luxury EVs for yourself? Lucid is running a Cyber Monday Special, offering $2,000 toward an Air or $3,000 toward a Gravity. Check out the links below to find Lucid Air and Gravity models in your area.
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