Kia has released a teaser image of the upcoming EV9 concept on Instagram and YouTube ahead of its ‘Kia Sustainability Movement’ event on November 11, 2021.
This event will take place at 8AM GMT, or 7PM AEDT and can be streamed on YouTube through the link here.
The singular teaser image shows only a side profile silhouette of the (tentatively named) EV9 concept – where it appears to be a large SUV that’s similar in size to the Hyundai Palisade and Kia Telluride.
It’s expected that the EV9 will share the E-GMP electric platform and features with the upcoming Hyundai Ioniq 7 concept, also known as SEVEN, that’s set to be revealed on November 17, 2021.
The Ioniq 7 is set and confirmed for launch in 2024, whereas Kia hasn’t set a date yet on when the EV9 will be available for purchase.
According to a report from Carscoops, the Ioniq 7 will have an optional dual-motor all-wheel drive powertrain with 230kW of power.
It’ll use a 100kWh battery pack, with Hyundai also targeting a range of more than 483km.
It’s uncertain if this powertrain and battery combination will carry over to the EV9.
Hyundai SEVEN concept
We have seen differences already between Hyundai and Kia electric vehicles (EVs), however, with the Kia EV6 featuring a larger optional battery than its Hyundai Ioniq 5 counterpart.
Regular versions of the EV6 are expected to arrive in the second half of 2022, with the high-performance, all-wheel drive GT trim with 430kW and 740Nm, potentially coming in time for the 2023 Australian Open.
Kia’s current plan is to release seven all-electric models before 2027, with the company aiming for 25 per cent of its sales volume to come from electrified vehicles by 2029.
By 2025, it hopes EVs account for 20 per cent of its sales in “advanced markets” like South Korea, North America and Europe for it to hold a 6.6 per cent share of the overall global EV market.
Previous teaser image
It also wants to sell 500,000 electric cars annually by 2026.
Many of Kia’s upcoming EVs will use the E-GMP architecture which, like the Porsche Taycan, makes use of an 800V architecture for DC fast-charging speeds of up to 350kW.
The electric motor, transmission and inverter are packed into a single module to save space and weight, with the battery mounted between the axles and backed by a dedicated cooling block structure.
Although it’s rear-wheel drive as standard, E-GMP models with dual-motor all-wheel drive will decouple the second motor to aid efficiency but can activate again to provide more performance or superior traction.
Pictured: Kia EV6 (left) and Kia EV6 GT (right)
In the EV6, there’s a vehicle-to-load (V2L) function which Kia says can discharge up to 3.6kW of power from the battery, enough to operate a 55-inch TV and an air-conditioner simultaneously for more than 24 hours.
It can also be used to charge another EV.
The Hyundai Motor Group has said it’ll continue to offer EVs based on internal combustion engine platforms as more affordable options.
This currently includes the Kia Niro EV, Hyundai Ioniq Electric and Hyundai Kona Electric.
