EVs have made a lot of inroads. But one vehicle the market needed for true mass adoption in America was an affordable, family-sized three-row SUV. That vehicle finally arrived in 2024 with the Kia EV9. The EV9 took home this year’s World Car of the Year award. It has the potential to be Kia’s Telluride for the EV space. And if you hop on one of Kia’s current lease offers, it may be even cheaper than its popular combustion cousin.
One of the main benefits of going EV with your family hauler is not having to pay for gas on inefficient school runs and trips to the grocery store. But how much are you really saving with a Kia EV9, and how much does it cost to charge one? The answer depends on how and where you decide to charge it.
How much does it cost to charge a Kia EV9?
Kia sells the EV9 with two battery pack options: a Standard Range with 76.1 kWh and a Long Range with 99.8 kWh. The national average rate for household electricity is 16.68 cents/kWh (as of this writing). At that rate, a 10-80% full charge of the Kia EV9 would cost about $8.88 for the Standard Range EV9 and $11.65 for the Extended Range EV9.
How much does it cost to charge a Kia EV9 at home?
Charging a Kia EV9 on a Level 2 unit at home should deliver the cheapest rate. However, that rate will vary from the national average due to several factors. Location matters. Some states are much more affordable or more expensive than others.
In North Dakota, where energy costs average just 10.44 cents/kWh, a full charge of the Kia EV9’s Extended Range pack would cost just $7.29. In California, where energy costs average 32.47 cents/kWh, the same full charge would cost about $22.68.
Wherever a Kia EV9 owner is, time will matter. It’s much cheaper to charge an EV9 during off-peak hours (often after 11 p.m.) than during peak hours in the afternoon and early evening. Utility companies may meter a home Level 2 charger separately with a discounted rate to charge at night during off-peak hours. For instance, my home provider DTE offers a discounted rate of 12 cents/kWh on my Level 2 charger.
Though home is often the cheapest place to charge, the cost of installing a Level 2 charger can negate a lot of the savings. A popular Level 2 unit, like a Chargepoint Home Flex, can cost more than $500. The cost can run into the thousands with a licensed electrician and permits.
Gallery: 2024 Kia EV9 First Drive
How much does it cost to charge a Kia EV9 at a DC fast charger?
Charging the Kia EV9 on a Level 3 fast charger can be free initially when an owner buys a Kia EV9. Under Kia’s agreement with Electrify America, EV9 owners can get their first 1,000 kWh of fast charging free. It’s not two years unlimited like the Hyundai Ioniq 5. But that’s enough to cover the first 14 full 10-80% charges to the EV9’s Extended Range battery pack.
Outside of that arrangement, fast-charging a Kia EV9 will typically be much more expensive than home charging. Precise rates will vary with the electricity price and can be more than twice the going local rate. Charging providers also add taxes and additional fees. For example, charging rates at my local EVgo charger in the northern Detroit suburbs typically run above 50 cents/kWh during the day.
How much cheaper is an EV9 to charge than a gas car?
The Kia EV9 is not the most efficient EV on the road, but it can still be much cheaper to charge than it would cost to fill up a comparable combustion SUV. The best comparison for the EV9 is its popular three-row counterpart, the Kia Telluride.
As of this writing, the average national price for a gallon of gas is $3.46. According to the EPA, an AWD Telluride requires five gallons of gas to travel 100 miles, costing $17.30. The EPA rates the AWD EV9 to use 41 kWh of electricity to travel the same 100 miles. At the national rate, that electricity would cost $6.84.
An exception may be if an EV9 owner is on a road trip and beholden to the fast-charging options en route. Rates exceeding 50 cents/kWh in that scenario could see the cost approach or even surpass that of filling up a Telluride, depending on the cost of gasoline in the area.
