The Kia EV9 will do over 330 miles on a single charge

Kia has revealed more information about the forthcoming EV9. There’s a lot riding on this mammoth-sized car, which can sit three rows of adult humans comfortably.

Though (somewhat disappointingly) little information has been shared on its off-roading functionality, aside from a brief mention about its Auto Terrain Mode, the EV9 is set to get some pretty future-facing features.

The boxy beast — due at the end of 2023 — will feature a 99.8kWh battery, capable in the long range spec, of up to 336 miles (541km). Using the same 800V technology that graces the TG award-winning Kia EV6 and Porsche Taycan, the EV9 will charge 148 miles in 15 minutes. Of course, that’s providing the ultra-rapid chargers are delivering maximum output (but that’s another story).

Kia tells us that the remote upgrades, enabling the brand to add new features, will give the EV9 a competitive advantage, as will the intentions to treat the EV9 like a giant power bank.

Kia reckons turning the car into this energy storage solution will make camping holidays way more appealing, because laptops, lighting and other devices will be able to draw power from the EV9’s big battery.

This ‘vehicle-to-load’ system sounds amazing in theory, though we’re still in the dark about what mechanisms will be in play to ensure there’s still enough juice to leave camp and head home (or, likely, to the nearest charger).

Other tech also involves preparing the EV9 for a target of SAE L3 autonomy. At launch, Highway Drive Pilot will enable the EV9 with ADAS features, like remote park assist, lane keep assist. Some 15 sensors, including two lots of lidar and radar will absorb data from the immediate surroundings to take advanced cruise control features to the next level.

Featuring a wealth of sustainable materials, Kia expects the EV9 to set the benchmark for every Kia model following, using 10 ‘must-have’ values for sustainability. This includes phasing out the use of leather, going vegan friendly where possible and replacing any component made of oil. In the much longer term, Kia’s ambition includes ‘growing its own materials for biofabrication’. There are 70 upcycled PET bottles per car, which has been no mean feat for scalability, apparently.

The Kia EV9 will launch to the Korean market for pre-order later this year, though the brand is somewhat modestly targeting only 100,000 units for global sales.