KIA EV9: Production problems and price disadvantage on the US market!

KIA EV9: Production problems and price disadvantage on the US market!

alarming news from the automotive world! Kia is under pressure, because the production of the highly expected electric SUV EV9 in the USA is anything but round. According to the "Korea Herald", only 21 copies of the EV9 were manufactured in the third quarter in the Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (HMGMA) - and that's not all: only one vehicle found its way to the American buyers! What is behind these shocking numbers?

The situation is complex. The HMGMA should only act as the second work for the EV9, while production has been running in the existing plant in West Point, Georgia since May. In addition to the EV9, combustion SUVs are also built there. The low production in HMGMA is not surprising, since the work was only opened in early October and the focus is initially on the Hyundai Ioniq 5, which also uses the electric car platform E-GMP.

production problems and battery conflicts

But the real problem is deeper: Kia hesitates to get the production of the EV9 up because the required battery cells are manufactured by SK ON in China. This dependence on a "Foreign Entity of Concern" (FEOC) could be expensive. From 2025, electric cars that use battery materials from FEOC countries will no longer receive the full subsidy of $ 7,500. The EV9 is currently only entitled to half of this funding, which disadvantages it to other models in the price comparison.

The prices for the EV9 start at $ 56,395, and most vehicles sold in the USA come directly from South Korea. However, Kia has high hopes to increase electric car sales in the United States by 70 percent, and the market launch of the EV9 plays a crucial role in this. But the future remains uncertain: If the designated US President Donald Trump deletes the tax credit for electric cars, this could further endanger the plans around the EV9. The clock ticks for Kia!