The problem is battery size. The EV9 large pack is only 106 kWh gross (99 usable) which is Lyriq sized and just slightly larger than the Mach-E.
My R1S is not efficient at all. If I drive in All Purpose on the highway (70mph) I’m getting 2.0 mi/kWh for this aerodynamic brick. That’s 260-270 miles with the 135 kWh pack.
I can’t imagine this EV9 getting more than 200 miles on the highway. My former Ioniq 5 AWD was not efficient at all and in general the E-GMP platform is not efficient at highway speeds. The EV9 is very much a short trip kid hauler.
I guess we will see. The Ioniq 5 is getting better real life mileage than the 305mi(?) advertised based on the forums and the EV9 is supposed to get high 200s.
Even low 200s is ok with me because I do more local driving anyways.
Folks who get more than EPA range on the Ioniq 5 are driving sub 50mph in stop and go traffic. You could get 320 miles on a Model Y at the same speed and probably 340-350 on a BMW i4. Dual permanent motors are an old school inefficient design and the front motor reconnects over 75mph.
I was getting 230-250 mile of range on my Limited AWD and I drive 65ish for 70-80% of my trips, Heck as low as 205 because I drove 85mph for a 50 miles stretch (out of 125) after visiting a race track.
The most efficient EVs I’ve owned are the Model 3 RWD and BMW i4. Model Y was decent. Ioniq 5 and Mach-E are inefficient vehicles/drivetrains.
If rumors of $55k are true and the cost in Korea is $63k… anywhere in that range would be a better value for a 3-row people mover.
The R1S would be a better off-roader/adventurer but I don’t think that will be the target market of the EV9 (esp the RWD version). And if the RWD long range does deliver 300mi, that helps.
The base $63K will be a mommy SUV that will slower than most ICE SUVs.
The range numbers I’ve seen for the base are 200-220 miles which is reasonable given it is an brick on wheels just like the ID.Buzz RWD (154 miles with 74 kWh battery pack at 75mph). The top trim will probably be $77K+ and still have 250 miles of highway range. The R1S only gets 289 miles at 70mph with the 135 kWh pack with front wheel drive Conserve mode.
It’s very roomy and it’s a “real” suv… not a crossover or a hatchback pretending to be a crossover (yes… I’m looking at my Ioniq 5).
I fit easily in the front and 2nd row… was going to attempt to climb into the 3rd row but was afraid I couldn’t climb out (some people were daring me).
It’s funny because a lot of guys my size were trying out the EV9 to see if they can be comfortable in it… other than the Lightning, this was the most comfortable EV I sat in. And I really like how they keep the front center console open (instead of full length connected to the dash). It lends to the more open feeling like the Ioniq 5 and the Ariya.
I probably spent the most time at the OC Auto Show checking out the EV9… and considering how well the Telluride sells… this seems like a no-brainer for anyone looking for a 3-row SUV EV.
And now that it’s confirmed that the lowest trim will start at $54,900 (non-blessed), that’s going to make the other EVs in the same range but smaller sized less desirable.
I think I can wait for the US built models but you never know, especially if somebody has a good lease (but that won’t probably happen until the 2025 year).
In terms of EVs, these things are slow. The cheapo version is 8.2sec 0-60. What is that 223 mile range going to be like in cold weather? I’d wait for NACS version at the very least.
IDK if it should be compared to smaller EVs, especially if the person is replacing a ICE crossover, SUV or minivan which are mostly slow af and sound awful doing it.
