Kia hasn't said whether production of its EV9 three-row electric vehicle will be shifted to a U.S. factory from Korea when it comes online in the fall to qualify for $7,500 in federal tax credits. But James Morrell, chairman of the Kia Dealer Advisory Council, said there's no way to deal with the new law without building the EV9 in the U.S.
The private reveal of the new EV9 at last year's NADA meeting was the brand's "biggest excitement," said Morrell, who has been head of the dealer council since 2019.
"It's an EV that people can get behind," Morrell told Automotive News. "It's not some wacky, small, futuristic-looking vehicle that's only going to appeal to a small niche. It's a seven-passenger SUV that's electrified so there's going be a huge demand for it."