Kia’s Answer to the Federal EV Tax Credit
Kia is storming the electric vehicle world, but something’s missing. The Kia EVs aren’t eligible for the federal EV tax credit, which can now be taken at the dealership. This is $7,500 in savings that customers miss, but Kia has the answer. Recently, Kia announced a new incentive that drops the base price of the 2024 Kia EV9 by $7,500.
The Kia EV9 is an important electric SUV
As the world turns from gas-powered to electric-powered vehicles, you might not think one model would be more important than others. The Kia EV9 proves that wrong. This new electric SUV is one of the first three-row EVs from a mainstream brand. High-end models, such as the Tesla Model X, Rivian R1S, and Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV, are already present but come at much higher price points than the EV9.
How affordable is the base EV9?
The base model of the Kia EV9 has a relatively affordable starting price of $56,395. Applying the new incentive, that price drops to $48,895, making it easy to see how this Kia EV can be competitive with other electric vehicles.
Of course, this Kia electric SUV provides three rows of comfortable seats and 800-volt charging architecture, which makes it an impressive choice.
What you’ll find in this Kia electric SUV
The 2024 Kia EV9 has a six or seven-seat configuration. The second row configured with either two captain’s chairs or a three-seat bench. This SUV has several drivetrain options, with the Light RWD starting things off with a 76.1-kWh battery pack that’s good for 230 miles of driving range. All other trims use a larger 99.8-kWh battery to deliver between 270 and 304 miles of range.
Kia EV9 Trims Power, Driving Range, Seating
| Light RWD | Light Long Range RWD | Wind AWD | Land AWD | GT-Line AWD | |
| Horsepower | 215 | 201 | 379 | 379 | 379 |
| Driving Range | 230 miles | 304 miles | 280 miles | 280 miles | 270 miles |
| Seating | 7 passengers | 6 passengers | 7 passengers | 6 passengers | 6 passengers |
The price gap closes with the Kia EV9
With the new Kia incentive applied to the base EV9 Light RWD, the gap between the average new car price and electric vehicles effectively closes. The average new car is $47,401, which means the base EV9 is only slightly more expensive. As you might expect, this base Kia electric SUV comes with a good package of standard features, including:
- Highway Driving Assist 2
- Power liftgate
- Tri-zone climate controls
- Ventilated front seats
Of course, the power for the Light models is lacking. This means you might be more inclined to choose the Wind or Land trims of this Kia electric SUV. Those models also qualify for the $7,500 Kia incentive, which basically thumbs its nose at the federal EV tax credit.
Source: InsideEVs
