When Kia unveiled the all-new EV9 in April, it announced that the three-row electric SUV was expected to be built at its plant in West Point, Georgia, beginning in 2024.
Now, the Korean automaker has fully confirmed that the Kia EV9 will be made in Georgia, and that it will cost more that $200 million to accommodate its production at the factory.
The EV9 will be assembled from the second quarter of 2024 in West Point alongside four other Kia models: the Telluride, Sorento, and Sportage SUVs, and the K5 mid-size sedan. The expansion will create nearly 200 additional jobs in Troup County.
"Like Telluride, EV9 has the potential to be another 'game changer' for Kia. This will be the most sophisticated vehicle that we have ever built and will be a standout in the EV market and on the road. Best of all, it will be assembled in West Point, Georgia."
Sean Yoon, president & CEO, Kia North America and Kia America
The EV9 will become Kia's first electric vehicle to be assembled in North America, allowing the automaker to claim federal tax credits.
Gallery: 2024 Kia EV9 in US specification
Parent company Hyundai Motor Group and SK On pledged to build a new battery manufacturing plant in Georgia to supply the automaker's US assembly plants. Hyundai and SK aim to begin operations in 2025, with the new plant estimated to create more than 3,500 jobs through approximately $4-5 billion of investment in Georgia's Bartow County.
Battery assembly in North America, using North American sourced minerals, is a requirement for vehicles to qualify for up to $7,500 in US consumer electric vehicle tax credits under the $430 billion US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) signed in August 2022.
The 2024 Kia EV9 will offer two battery choices in the US, a standard 76.1-kilowatt-hour pack and an optional 99.8-kWh pack. The former will be offered with a 215-horsepower (160-kilowatt) motor that drives the rear wheels, while the latter will be available in either single- or dual-motor configurations with 201 hp (150 kW) or 379 hp (283 kW), respectively.
Kia targets a range rating of 300 miles for the EV9 RWD Long Range model. And since it will benefit from the E-GMP platform's 800-volt electrical architecture, its maximum DC fast charging speed will be 230 kW. This will translate into a charging time from 10 to 80 percent state of charge in under 25 minutes.
Gallery: 2024 Kia EV9 GT-Line in US specification
