Kia Electric SUV News Roundup: EV9 Pricing And EV5 Possibilities

First, the EV9 pricing for South Korea can give us a better idea of the prices we might expect to see in the US when it goes on sale here late this year. In South Korea, the EV9 starts at a little over $60,000, based on current exchange rates and not including any delivery fees. Of course the base price in South Korea may be for a trim or including options we won’t have in the US, but this gives a sense for what to expect nonetheless.

Now, some of you might be saying: $60k+ for a Kia? No thanks! I urge those who might say this to remember this is for what may be the largest, most feature rich and technologically advanced model Kia makes. The EV9 will undoubtedly be Kia’s new flagship vehicle, with its largest EV battery (just under 100 kWh for the higher end models, and a little over 76 kWh for the lower tier trims). Even at this price, too, it would still be far less expensive than a Tesla model X or Rivian R1S. Electric vehicles (EVs), especially those replacing thirsty 3 row gasoline powered SUVs, also may save their drivers hundreds or even thousands of dollars in fuel costs each year (and generally have less maintenance too), depending. For comparison, the current national average price of gasoline in the US, according to AAA, is $3.58 per gallon. A Kia Telluride AWD model gets about 21 MPG combined (more if mostly freeway, less if mostly off the freeway). At 12,000 miles annually, and at the average price of gas, it costs about $2,046 a year to fuel a Telluride. My Sorento plug-in hybrid (PHEV) which is a little smaller than the Telluride, and likely the EV9 too, has so far achieved a blended fuel (gas + electricity) cost of about 8 cents per mile, on average (that figure is probably lower now, but will fluctuate based on how many long road trips we take in it). To drive those same 12,000 miles in my PHEV would cost only about $960. To cover those 12,000 miles in the all electric EV9 though, would only cost about $683 annually, at the current national average price per kWh (or about $484 if you are paying the going rate in my city of about 12 cents per kWh). That’s over $1,300 per year in savings. Thus, we should not forget to factor in the potentially very significant savings EVs can bring when considering how much they cost up front.

But maybe you don’t need a bigger, 3-row EV SUV. Perhaps a compact EV SUV, as opposed to a crossover that is lower to the ground and may be less spacious, is all you want. The Kia EV5 may be a better match for your needs if that is the case. But until recently, Kia had only confirmed that this model would be sold in the Chinese market. Now Kia’s head of global product planning has confirmed that the EV5 will be built for both right and left hand drive versions. That doesn’t mean the EV5 will be coming to the US per se, but it is now at least a distinct possibility, one that would bring welcome electric vehicle options to the US market, if it turns out to be true.

What do you think, readers? Would the EV9 or EV5 be on your shortlist for your next vehicle? Why or why not? Please leave any questions or comments below.

Images courtesy of Kia.

Justin Hart has owned and driven electric vehicles for over 15 years, including a first generation Nissan LEAF, second generation Chevy Volt, Tesla Model 3, an electric bicycle and most recently a Kia Sorento PHEV. He is also an avid SUP rider, poet, photographer and wine lover. He enjoys taking long EV and PHEV road trips to beautiful and serene places with the people he loves. Follow Justin on Twitter for daily KIA EV news coverage.