Maybe you don't want an electric car that's small. Maybe you don't want a big gas-swilling SUV.
It's time for the Kia EV9.
While technically still a concept, the EV9 is a clear indicator of where Kia's electric future goes after the incredible EV6 reaches the market in 2022. Kia wants electric vehicles to be available in the segments where people actually shop, and three-row SUVs are the next natural stopping place.
The Kia EV9 Concept from November 2021's Los Angeles Auto Show is essentially the size of a Kia Telluride: five inches longer, bumper to bumper, than the Kia Sorento and three inches longer than the Telluride. There are three rows of seating, plus Pause mode where the second-row seats fold down to become a table, the first-row seats swivel, and first and third-row occupants can face one another in a "first-class lounge arrangement."
The seats are by no means the Kia EV9's only innovative elements. Take, for example, the roof rails, which can collapse into the roof for better aerodynamics when not in use. There's also a next-generation camera system that replaces ordinary side view mirrors, offering the driver better awareness while improving aero.
Yet with any electric vehicle, much of the conversation comes back to battery power. Kia wants major range – the EV9 should be in the vicinity of 482 kilometres. But there's so much more to electric transportation than sheer range. You also need to get back on the road quickly. Like the EV6, the Kia EV9 will offer ultra-fast charging through a 350-kilowatt charger that allows the EV9 to move from 10% to 80% of range in less than 30 minutes.
The Kia EV9 is the future. The very near future. And the future looks bright.
