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Gov. Brian Kemp driving the all-electric EV-9 at the West Point manufacturing facility on May 30, 2024.
Credit: Kia Georgia
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Kia at West Point just made history, rolling out first-ever EV made in Georgia, an EV9 SUV
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Just 10 months after Kia invested $200 million to expand operations at its plant in West Point, Georgia, the company released its EV9, the first electric vehicle manufactured in the state of Georgia.
Gov. Brian Kemp drove the vehicle off the production line last Thursday and congratulated the Kia Georgia team for helping boost the state’s EV portfolio, strengthening the battery belt and advancing the climate agenda. Transportation activities accounted for 37.4 percent of U.S. CO2 emissions, fossil fuel combustion in 2022, according to the latest EPA US Greenhouse gas 2024 inventory.
“We are working to become the e-mobility capital of the nation,” Kemp said.
The fossil-fuel, emission-free vehicle went on sale at the end of 2023. The vehicles were shipped from South Korea and sold in all 50 states.
The car has already received industry accolades such as World Car of the Year, World EV of the Year and North American Utility Vehicle of the Year.
At the ceremony, Sen. Jon Ossoff congratulated the Kia Georgia team on the “huge milestone.”
“Georgians are proud of these beautiful cars, produced in Georgia and made in America,” Ossoff said.
By being manufactured on American soil, the vehicle becomes at least partially eligible for a $7,500 EV tax credit that is part of the Inflation Reduction Act.
The tax credit, created to help offset the cost of EVs and encourage the transition from fossil fuels, has two requirements. One of them is the EV must be made in America, and the second has to do with battery components.
“This year there are additional requirements for critical minerals,” Anne Blair, VP of the Electrification Coalition said. “Fifty percent of the mineral components in an EV now must be sourced and processed in the U.S. or a trade partner country.”
Kia has not said whether the car will qualify for the whole tax credit. But the company did release this statement:
“We expect the Georgia-assembled EV9 to qualify for available incentives in the near future and will provide additional details at a later date,” Patrick Sands, spokesman for Kia Georgia, said in an email.
The batteries should take eight hours to charge on a 220v level 2 circuit, according to Sands. “The battery has a 10-year/100,00- mile warranty, and the federal regulation mandates a minimum of an eight-year warranty,” he added.
The MSRP range is between $55,000 and $70,000, taking into account incentives and trim level. Sands didn’t address whether Georgians will receive a hometown discount.
The plant’s expansion last July added 200 jobs to support the production of EVs and the current lineup of Telluride, Sorento and Sportage.
Columbus has a healthy footprint at the West Point plant. It is listed as the fifth largest employer on the ‘Choose Columbus’ website. Some 86 people in Columbus work for Kia Georgia in West Point, according to LinkedIn.
This story comes to GPB through a reporting partnership with Ledger-Enquirer.
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