Los Angeles 2021: Kia’s Concept EV9 Makes Its Official Debut
Los Angeles 2021: Kia’s Concept EV9 Makes Its Official DebutAfter the EV6, comes the EV9. Kia made the official presentation of what it calls the Concept EV9 all-electric prototype today at the Los Angeles Auto Show. To be clear, this remains very much a concept, and a production version isn’t expected to surface before 2024. Some of the design elements on the prototype shown today may not make the journey between the two.
Still though, it’s nice to see what the Korean automaker has up its sleeve EV-wise, and this follow-up to the sleek, sporty EV6 crossover is a very different ball of wax. This is a highly rectangular large utility model – think of it as the rough all-electric equivalent of the Telluride people-mover – that seemingly pays little heed to aerodynamic demands, normally front and centre with EVs.
The EV9 is based on the Hyundai group’s E-GMP platform meant for all-electric powertrains. It provides an 800-volt electric system – and that happens to be almost the only figures Kia released today in connection with the new SUV. The automaker did say to expect a range of up to 300 miles (or just over 480 km), and 10-to-80-percent charge recovery in under 30 minutes on a fast 350kW charger.
We also now know the dimensions of the EV9, which is 4927 mm long, 2057 mm wide and 1778 mm high, with a wheelbase of 3098 mm. Meaning, it’s slightly smaller than the Telluride. And while its boxy shape doesn’t at first glance lend itself well to optimized aerodynamics, Kia says several design steps have been taken to enhance energy efficiency. Namely, the front end, vertical as it is, doesn’t have a grille.
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