Award-Winning Kia EV9 Is Now More American Than Ever

US production of the Kia EV9 is officially underway, with the first example leaving the Kia Georgia assembly this week. Built alongside the Sportage, Sorento, and Telluride, the EV9 will now be built in America for American consumers. The automaker says this is a result of a $200 million expansion that has created 200 new jobs at the factory, plus the ability to build EVs and ICE-powered vehicles on the same production line.

The award-winning Kia EV9 is one of the best electric SUVs available in the United States, but dealers were worried that sales would be impacted without the lucrative $7,500 EV tax credit. Thankfully, Kia has ways to work around that, with attractive EV9 lease deals that enable customers to take advantage of the credit. Now that the vehicle is manufactured in the United States, it should be eligible for at least part of the incentive.

Eligible For The Tax Credit?

For a vehicle to qualify for the entire incentive, the batteries must also be manufactured in the United States or a country with which the US has a free trade agreement and may not contain components from “foreign entities of concern.” This won’t happen yet, but Kia plans to produce its batteries in Georgia in 2025. Therefore, we can expect the full $7,500 tax credit sometime next year or early in 2026.

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Using the current pricing, customers can purchase an entry-level EV9 (Light RWD) for $47,400 – that is astonishing value for such a capable electric family vehicle. But even without the tax credit, Kia has had no problem shifting the EV9. Last month, the Korean automaker sold 1,572 examples for a year-to-date total of 5,579. Despite the $50,000+ starting price, the range-topping EV9 has increased Kia’s year-on-year EV sales by 144%. Now that the vehicle is being built in the United States, we anticipate growing sales.

EV9 GT Still On The Way

Until now, the EV9 was produced in South Korea at Kia’s facility in Gwangmyeong. Adding a second EV9 production site will also cut waiting times and allow automakers to meet demand in a timely manner. “Today’s launch of the Kia EV9 in Georgia is the latest example of Kia’s commitment to the US market and the state of Georgia,” said SeungKyu Yoon, President and CEO of Kia America. “Through Plan S, Kia is posed to be a leader in the e-mobility sector for years to come.”

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OFFICIAL: High-Performance Kia EV9 GT Coming In January 2025

The sporty SUV will be able to accelerate to 62 mph in less than four seconds and will be equipped with enhanced braking and suspension setups.

The EV9 range is comprehensive, with myriad options for different budgets, performance needs, and range requirements. However, the lineup still needs to be completed: a high-performance EV9 GT is waiting in the wings and is expected to debut with 600 horsepower and a 0-60 mph time of less than four seconds. It remains to be seen whether the Korean automaker has plans to build more EVs in the USA, but we wouldn’t be surprised if the US-bound EV3 crossover ends up being produced here.