Charging Challenges and the Kia EV9: Navigating the Electric Frontier

Challenges With Electric Vehicle Charging

Speaker 1 0:01

Welcome to another In Wheel Time podcast , a 30-minute mini version of the In Wheel Time Car Show that airs live every Saturday morning 8 to 11 am , central . Filling a gasoline car . Gasoline vehicle gets 26 miles per gallon . Epa average requires about $14 of fuel at 350 per gallon to drive 100 miles . Charging an EV at home could cost about 17 cents per kilowatt hour . According to a February average from the Bureau of Labor Statistics . That's $5.31 for 100 miles . If the EV gets 3.2 miles per kilowatt hour , I don't get all of that , but it's about the same . It turns out , for instance , st Louis $4.06 per 100 miles , so it's a little bit more expensive to charge at home . Okay , so I had a car that I really , really liked and I'm going to give you a review of the car without all of this . Now we're going to get into Don Armstrong's pictures in just a minute , you don't have to go to them right now .

Speaker 1 1:08

So Tuesday , this is all on a Kia EV9 that I had . All right , so Tuesday I had about . I got the car on Thursday . So on Tuesday I was looking to get it charged . The level one charger that I have available to me at work , where typically I would drive to work , which is 30 miles . I'd plug it in to the level one charger and it would take all day and it would give me 30 miles so I could get back home and really not lose anything . Just enough Uh-huh , but it wasn't working . Anything right , just enough uh-huh , but it wasn't working . So I thought I'm going to go to the evgo up here , which is a level three charger at the whole foods . Okay , not only does it not work , but the entire evgo system is down because I called them . Oh , so where's another ? He says it doesn't make any difference where another one is . So our system down and it won't get a charge anywhere . Oh great , so that's broke . So did you call the transportation ?

Speaker 2 2:12

officials in Washington or anything , and voice your opinion .

Speaker 1 2:15

So then I went looking for at least a level one , maybe a level two charger . Went over to First Colony Mall , not working . Then I went over to Sugar Land City Hall working . Then I went over to sugarland city hall ah , a fine establishment , couldn't find it . I couldn't find the charger in city hall next to the mayor's parking spot no well , it's not .

Speaker 1 2:36

Couldn't find it . So I thought , screw this , I just went home , plugged it into the wall . I knew that overnight it would give me a few miles on my level . One winky , dinky little charging system , 110 volts . Wednesday started looking again for another fast charger . Couldn't find that told there was one over at hobby Airport so I paid the dollar to roam around the parking lot to find it . Couldn't find it . No signage , no , nothing anywhere . Oh , you have arrived at your destination . Well , that wasn't my destination , but I was in the parking lot . Apparently there's one there somewhere . I wound up going to back out here again . I went to a Stop and Rob corner store because the car told me that there was one down the street . Guess what Didn't work there wasn't one there . Then I thought , okay , well , I'm going to go to the next closest charging place , and it took me to . It just had an address . Okay . Well , I'm going to go to the next closest charging place , and it took me to . It just had an address okay . So it took me to an apartment complex , a gated apartment complex that I couldn't get into . So nixed that Went home .

Speaker 1 4:03

Thursday they were supposed to come and pick the car up and I thought , okay , well , at least I got to do is give the guy 60 miles charge so we could get it somewhere that I don't know exists To put a charge on . Yeah , they weren't going to come and pick up the car until 6 o'clock . I got off work at 1 in the afternoon . So then I thought , okay , well , there's got to be something around Hobby Airport , not at the airport . So I find a place according to the car that Centerpoint Energy has . Now Centerpoint Energy is our provider here Electricity and they've got a great big building with a lot of yardage out there , pretty lawn and big electrical things in there I'm thinking , oh well , they're going to have to , Don't touch it .

Speaker 1 4:47

I'll get something there , don't touch it . Yeah , I'll get something there , don't touch it . It wasn't working , yeah , finally , I go to an EV . Go , that is now working In Pasa . Get down , dina . Well , see , well , to the point of that .

Speaker 2 5:07

Don and I were supposed to be back in the studio to do some other things in theasa . Get down , dina . Well , see , to the point of that , don and I were supposed to be back in the studio to do some other things in the studio and I called him or he called me , kind of in a panic hey , I'm going to be late , I got to do this . The story you just heard . He gave that to me in a two-minute dissertation over the phone .

Speaker 1 5:20

So I finally find an EVgo fast charger . It is at a Chase Bank over on Shaver Street , kind of across the street from Pasadena , Pasaget-Dondina City .

Speaker 2 5:31

Hall .

Speaker 1 5:33

I got there nice big , they just installed it . There's like three big chargers there , Concrete still wet , Six cars in there , and so I pull in there by myself . I figure out how to work the thing , and by golly the hose on this thing is that big around . Oh boy yeah .

Speaker 1 5:50

I mean you got to muscle the hose out of the machine and stick it on the car . Power , yeah , more power . Um , and I got 70% charge in 30 minutes and it only had 20 miles left on the charge that was in it . So it did me just fine . 70% got it home . The guy had 200 miles range when he came and picked up the car at 6 PM , and so I felt good about that . That cost me I don't know $30 or something to put all that juice in there . So I've spent a total of three hours trying to find a charger that worked level two , level three charger that worked . So I wanted to give you , for those that are watching on video , a little taste of what I went through , so to speak . Uh , at the charging station over there , um , at , you can go ahead and it's rolling , okay , well , uh , we're waiting for the next picture . So there was a guy that pulled up next to me and he had a Polestar .

Speaker 2 6:53

Oh , nice car . Yeah , it's a Polestar .

Speaker 1 7:00

And that's looking out the passenger window over at the guy in the Polestar Now . He had the car running and he was on the phone the entire time . Oh , can you do that ? Can you leave it running in charge ? Yeah , okay , Well , you got to , because I mean it was kind of warm and it would be uncomfortable . So that was nice . At least there's somebody back there that I could visit with . But I thought , man , I am starving . It's two o'clock in the afternoon and the only thing that was around there was a dollar tree .

Speaker 1 7:27

So I wound up and got some hilscher and meat cheese and a couple of crackers . And then I saw those hot onion rings and I had to buy those . Then the whole box of Lance Cheese Captain's Wapers , so they had cream cheese in the middle of them and you washed it down with alien blood . No , and that is some sort of off-brand coffee , mocha coffee . It cost me $7 for all of that and $40 for the gas , and $40 , $30 for the gas . Okay , you can switch over now .

Speaker 1 7:53

So I just wanted to give you a little tour of my place over there .

Speaker 2 7:57

There's the Dollar Tree that I bought Next to Melrose too . You're high class there , buddy . I keep on trucking . This is good stuff . That was a lunch of champions .

Speaker 1 8:05

It was there I am . There's the ev9 that I drove and there's the evgo pump , yeah , pumping in the electricity . I'll be darned and uh . So that was kind of a roundabout of what I did . Just to let you know , there's my 71 charge . Right before I unplugged it , yep and uh , it gave me , uh , lots of mileage your trash . No , that's my bag of stuff . And there's the bank building back there , gotcha , and there's cars going in to get some cash money Making a withdrawal .

Speaker 1 8:39

So I thought that you would enjoy that little thing . Now coming up , I'm going to give you a review of the 2024 Kia EV9 . That's coming up here on the In Wheel Time Car Talk Show right after a quick break . One second , I got to get it loaded . Oh , you do , yeah , okay . So , jeff is my video switcher over here , as you can tell . We're running a little behind , that's okay .

Speaker 1 8:57

It's all right , we're going to make this Go for it . Okay , here we go .

Automotive Companies Collaboration and Car Review

Speaker 1 9:32

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Speaker 1 9:59

Want to feel good about something special you did for someone special In Real Time ? And the original Loopy Tortilla Group of Tex-Mex restaurants have joined together to help a very worthy cause God's Garage , a Christian-based 501c3 charity . We know there are lots of places and organizations out there where you can donate a car , truck or SUV , but we're asking you , our car enthusiast family , to consider donating to God's Garage . Visit godsgarageorg and learn about its mission , the women that have been helped , how each one is screened and about their Restore . You program . A car donation is an easy way to make a difference in the lives of others . God's Garage needs good operating vehicles , but will take all types in working and non-working condition . Make your heart and soul feel good by donating your gently used vehicle and help support single mothers , widows and wives of deployed military at godsgarageorg .

Speaker 2 10:59

Mecham Auctions , the world's largest collector car auction company , returns to Houston , texas , april 4th through the 6th at NRG Center , featuring 1,000 muscle cars , corvettes , trucks , customs and more . Broadcast on Motor Trend TV and streaming live on Max From avid collectors to those new to the Mecham experience . We welcome everyone . Register to book now at Mechamcom .

Speaker 1 11:30

Welcome back to the In Wheel Time Car Talk show . I want to remind you that our show is available 24-7 through the iHeartRadio app . Just look for In Wheel Time Car Talk . We also video stream our three-hour weekly show on Facebook , YouTube and InWheelTimecom , and podcasts are available from your favorite podcast provider All right Time . Now for this hour's car review . I had a chance to drive the 2024 Kia EV9 .

Speaker 2 11:54

Not more EVs , come on .

Speaker 1 11:56

So this is the EV thing , and this is what prompted me to tell you that big , long involved story ahead of this review . So here we go . The EV9 is all brand new for 2024 , and I'm going to tell you right up front , I really did like it . It was a very nice vehicle . Available trim levels include light , light , long range , the wind , the land and the GT line . I had the EV9 long range all-wheel drive GT line and boy was it nice .

Speaker 1 12:26

They call this a standard size SUV . Three rows of seats , including the driver . The number of them six . Exterior changes from last model year . Like I said , it's all new for 2024 . Sharp-looking full-size SUV with unique , attractive lighting up front . Black wheel opening extensions , attractive lower valance between the wheels , four-spoke black aero-style wheels . Good-looking rear end with layered styling in the back . What I liked about it ? Well , for me , the overall look for this EV gets five stars . What could use improvement ? I don't know Nothing . That's what I wrote down here . Interior highlights Attractive dash design with a single screen that includes the instrument cluster in front of the driver and then the infotainment system over in the middle . Beautiful nighttime lighting throughout the cabin , comfortable seating with nice leather surfaces , high-quality modern materials and a beautiful Meridian sound system , cargo room adequate with the third row down . You got the third row up , ain't much back there . What I liked about it ? It fits well . The interior fits well with the exterior . They match . What could use improvement ? Odd gear shift with a stalk behind . Can you see it there behind ?

Speaker 2 13:50

the steering wheel , the lower right-hand side of the steering wheel .

Speaker 1 13:54

So that's a stalk back there To start it . You press the little round thing and that starts it . All it does is go zzzz . Lets you know that it's running . How does it go ? Zzzz , okay . And it also is the gear shifter . So you twist it forward , puts it in drive . You twist it backwards , it puts it into reverse . You push the button on the end of it , puts it in park .

Speaker 1 14:22

It was kind of a weird deal but I got used to it pretty quickly . It was all right . Engine obviously electric . Turns out 379 , what we would refer to as horsepower . Torque 516 pound-feet Tow rating , 5,000 pounds , about 304 miles on a full charge .

Speaker 1 14:44

What I liked about it smooth , awesome power . What could use improvement ? Charging I do not have a level 2 charger here at the house . All I got is 110 volt and it came with a cord that you can plug it into the wall and if you go to a level 2 charger or have a level 2 charger installed in your house to get a full charge on , it takes about 15 hours Ride and handling . What I liked about it ? It was smooth . It was a heavy vehicle but boy , the ride . Quality again five stars . What could use improvement Doesn't get much better than this .

Speaker 1 15:17

Here's the killer part about it it's not cheap . Base trim price $73,900 . Prices tested $78,430 . Base model price with lower power and ability to travel 300 miles it doesn't do $54,900 . Competitors Well , we went out and looked at Tesla Model X for $79,990 . The Rivian R1S $76,700 . But they're going to go out of business and you won't be able to get parts for that Uh-oh . Hyundai Ioniq 5 starts at $41,800 . That's my review of the 2024 Kia EV9 . Very nice vehicle , despite the fact that it's electric .

Speaker 2 16:00

How does it go when you start it again ? Okay , it has an electric sound to it . Now I've got an earworm with that going on .

Speaker 1 16:08

We're going to do your events calendar later . If you'd like to get in touch with us , shoot us an email . The address here is info at inwheeltimecom . We are back right after this quick break , the original group of Loopy Tortilla restaurants will have you telling your family and friends just what the original recipes mean when it comes to the best fajitas in Southeast Texas . Founder Stan Holt invites you to visit the original Loopy Tortilla near I-10 and Highway 6 . Here's the original house that inspired the design of all the rest and the original charm that helped make Loopy Tortilla the go-to destination for Houston Tex-Mex . Speaking of original , nothing can compete with the original lime pepper marinade . That everyone will agree , makes Loopy Tortilla award-winning beef fajitas the best anywhere .

Speaker 1 16:48

Loopy Tortilla Katy is another location that gives you the same quality and service Houstonians have come to expect at Loopy's . It's located just off I-10 in the Grand Parkway at Kingsland Boulevard in Katy . Find yourself in Aggieland . Head to the Loopy Tortilla in College Station , located just around the corner from Kyle Field . It's a great place to enjoy those famous frozen margaritas before or after the game . Headed east to Louisiana , stop in at the Loopy Tortilla in Beaumont . It too's on I-10 . You can't miss it . The original group of Loopy Tortilla restaurants invites you in for the best Tex-Mex .

Speaker 1 17:17

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Speaker 1 17:46

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Speaker 1 17:46

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