Discounting programme in the electric car doldrum pulls $35k from high-end model, $26k from medium grade.

PRICING revision on the most expensive edition of Kia’s largest electric car here, the EV9, removes a whopping $35,000 from the sticker and quirkily leaves it cheaper than a entry edition, whose RRP hasn’t altered.

The radical repositioning to $99,990 of the flagship GT-Line, the highest-end edition of the seven-seater sports utility that at full retail has been a $134,990 proposition, effected at the weekend and is being described in dealership promotions as being a ‘limited offer’.

It is the biggest price cut yet by the Korean make during a period of very low consumer interest in electric vehicles.

Another EV9 derivative has also been given a trim, but not as severely.

The mid-spec Earth that entered the market for $115,990 has become a $89,990 opportunity, a $26k revision. It has the same dual motor drivetrain as the GT-Line, with identical power, but slightly lower range and a more conservative trim.

Again, though, it also sits below the entry Light model, which holds at the $105,990 sticker that announced when the EV9 range hit New Zealand.

The entry derivative is not only more budget-trimmed than the Earth and GT-Line, but also foregoes their 282kW/700Nm 99.8kWh battery-fed drivetrain for a 76.1kWh battery fed single, rear motor making 160kW/350Nm and delivering 443 kilometres’ range, the most of the three.

EV9 came on sale in December, the last month of decent electric vehicle registrations.

Since then, the market has been in free fall, with buy-in down more than 70 percent year-on-year, and numerous brands have started to seriously discount stock to get it moved from holding compounds.

It is not apparent how many cars Kia NZ feels compelled to discount, however registrations data suggests just 33 examples of the model have been plated this year.

Until this action, the biggest discernible discount on a Kia electric had been with the EV6 long Range, which reset at $72,990, a $7000 drop.

Just weeks ago it released a new EV, the EV5, its first battery car built in China, rather than South Korea. That compact model is exempt from this discounting.

Sister brand Hyundai still appears to hold position as the highest discounter among the Korean makes, having cut up to $40,000 from a version of the Ioniq 6 sedan, which has the same running gear as the EV6, during a special pricing programme held during the Feildays in mid-June.

However that programme was specific to shifting stock that had been unsold for up to a year. The EV9s would conceivably be cars that would have landed shortly before the type hit sale.