The EV9’s tech-forward design influences everything from lighting to body work.SUPPLIED
Thanks to rapidly evolving technology, automakers are pushing the limits of what many people think an electric vehicle can be. Take for example the Kia EV9, the first all-electric mass market three-row SUV.
It allows Canadians to drive an SUV that meets their needs in terms of capacity, power and size, while not having to compromise on the desire to seat themselves behind the wheel of a more sustainable vehicle.
While it has the latest in technology, all-wheel drive and a best-in-class 800-volt electrical architecture for ultra fast-charging and up to 489 kilometres of range, the EV9 is an SUV first – something Canadians are looking for. More than 80 per cent of new car sales are light trucks, a category that includes SUVs, pickups and vans.
A number of studies show Canadians are trending toward larger vehicles, citing the need for more cargo space and additional seating. At the same time, many more Canadians say they want to buy an electric vehicle for their next car compared to those who purchase one now. In a recent survey of Globe readers, 31 per cent said they are looking to buy a fully electric vehicle for their next car.
“I think we’ve really struck a fine balance in being able to bring tech-forward design, but make it something that really matches thee needs of Canadian customers,” says David Sherrard, Kia Canada Inc.’s Director of Strategic Planning. The EV9, he says, “doesn’t look like anything else on the road. It’s incredibly innovative and new: the lighting signatures, the body work, and, when it comes to technology, we’ve equipped it with the latest and greatest of what an EV can offer.”
The EV9′s cutting-edge battery, says Sherrard, is so advanced that it future-proofs the SUV against competitors. “You can charge the battery from 10 per cent to 80 per cent in only 24 minutes. And considering that the battery can deliver up to 489 kilometres of range, that’s pretty remarkable. Very few carmakers are offering 800 volts or the ability to charge that quickly.”
Kia’s EV9 delivers on driver demand for both cargo space and sustainable options.SUPPLIED
Dan Guatto, director of energy transition at consulting firm Ernst & Young LLP (EY Canada), says that currently around 13 per cent of new car sales across Canada are zero-emission vehicles, a category that includes fully electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. “When manufacturers first started with smaller vehicles it was all about the size of the battery and the range they were trying to achieve,” he says, adding that today, we’re seeing the fruits of that early labour pay off with a market that offers electrified vehicles of all sizes. These electrified vehicles are so popular they account for as much as 26 per cent of new car sales in British Columbia and Quebec.
Guatto cites the continued popularity of SUVs among consumers and says that EV automakers are responding to those demands. While choice and availability are trending upward, for EV drivers the total cost of car ownership is trending downward. “Canadians [on average] drive 50 kilometres or less per day and use about 5.5 kilowatt-hours per day for their [electric] vehicle. And if you put that energy into your electric vehicle at the low overnight rate, it’s 15 cents per day. That’s $4.50 a month for the same driving that you do with gasoline,” says Guatto. According to current estimates from finance company RateHub, a gas-powered car with a combustion engine costs drivers around $200 per month in fuel.
“There are 27,000 public chargers across Canada already and growing rapidly,” says Guatto. As the network of public charging options expands, range anxiety is receding for many drivers.
“I think we’re getting to a point where there doesn’t need to be insecurity,” says Kia’s Sherrard. “The fact that the EV9 is capable of almost 500 kilometres of range, it’s far more than what the average Canadian uses in their daily commute. Combine that with how much more quickly you can charge an EV9 and we really looked at it comprehensively to deliver something that works for people 100 per cent of the time.”
Even in winter weather, electric vehicle technology, like that featured in the EV9, has advanced to address the challenges presented by Canada’s cold climate.
“There’s a system in the vehicle called a heat pump,” Sherrard says. “Instead of having to use the battery to heat your cabin, the heat pump actually moves heat throughout the vehicle. It can pull off of the existing heat that’s already in the car. That extends your range dramatically in cool weather compared to a vehicle that may not have a heat pump. We also have the ability to move the [heat] around inside the car so you don’t need to heat the entire vehicle, you can just heat the area that you’re in.”
From its onboard power generator able to charge everything from your laptop to your electric bike to the ultra-quiet cabin equipped with an EV-optimized 14-speaker Meridian sound system, the Kia EV9 offers a driving experience that will please everyone from the most practical driver to the most tech-obsessed.
“The EV9 is capable of anything that a combustion engine SUV is,” says Sherrard. “What the EV9 demonstrates is that it’s really an SUV that happens to be an EV, not an EV SUV.”
Advertising feature produced by Globe Content Studio with Kia. The Globe’s editorial department was not involved.