Popular long-range base model loses Clean Car eligibility.

A SWEEPING $5000 price lift, enacted over the weekend, that appears to impact on all versions of Kia’s EV6 means just one model now still attracts Government’s Clean Car rebate.

The privilege remains with the base ‘Air’ Rear-Wheel-Drive Standard Range with a 58kWh battery, which now costs almost $78,000.

However, it removes from a sister model in look and equipment that runs with the larger 77.4 kWh battery and is identified as a ‘long range’ Air.

That latter car, which launched for $78,990 on March 31, has raised to $83,990, Kia’s website shows.

Kia NZ has yet to comment on the increases, with arrive in the wake of an arch-rival also raising the price of a mainstay that competes with EV6, but more modestly.

Tesla’s entry Model 3, also a rebate winner, has gone up $1700, to $74,990.

The pricing revisions by the US maker bypass its Model Y crossover, which derives from the Model 3 and whose NZ market arrival and pricing was announced last week. The first shipment of Model Y is signalled to land in November; Model 3 orders taken now will be fulfilled next March.

Kia also sells the EV6 in three other derivatives, all higher priced. The most expensive, the GT-Line, is now a $111,990 car before on-roads.

The EV6 Air RWD Long Range was of particular interest as it has a claimed range of 528km on a single charge; the best range for any car eligible for the rebate.

There’s been no signalled price change for EV6’s equivalent in the Hyundai family, the Ioniq 5.

Electric car makers have been blaming rising raw materials and logistics costs.