Kia announced it will invest more than $200 million in the West Point assembly plant in Georgia in order to prepare it for the production of the EV9. The new flagship three-row SUV will be the company’s first electric vehicle to be manufactured in North America, starting in the second quarter of 2024.
The EV9 will be the fifth model to be assembled in the Kia Georgia plant, joining the ICE-powered Sportage, Sorento, and Telluride SUVs, plus the K5 sedan.
More: New Kia EV9 Photos Show More Of The 3-Row Electric SUV
North American production of the Kia EV9 will make it eligible for up to $7,500 in tax credits, as part of the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act which was signed in August 2022. As reported by Reuters and according to Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, over $22.7 billion have been invested in Georgia since 2020 by various companies, creating more than 28,400 jobs centered around EV production. The latest investment from Kia will create nearly 200 additional jobs.
Sean Yoon, president & CEO of Kia America said that the EV9 has the potential to be another “game changer” for Kia, like the similarly-sized but ICE-powered Telluride, adding that the EV will be “the most sophisticated vehicle that we have ever built”.
Kia’s all-new full-size electric SUV was originally introduced last March, introducing the brand’s latest styling, safety, and technological features that will gradually roll down to the rest of the lineup. The automaker has yet to announce US pricing for the EV9 but the model starts from ₩78.1 million ($61,545) in Korea, and from £64,995 ($84,841) in the UK.
