I Delivered A 2026 Kia EV9 2,500 Miles From Oregon To Alaska By means of Canada And By no means Received Stranded, Regardless of Some Dicey Charging Conditions

“Enjoyable drive, a bit traumatic generally, price it, lengthy, stunning!” 

That was how Reddit person drama_observer summed up a 2,500-mile odyssey from Oregon to Alaska in a 2026 Kia EV9. It was merely a household favor. A relative in Anchorage wanted their brand-new EV9 delivered, however delivery was snarled and costly on account of a container ship incident. 

So he volunteered, turning a sensible supply into a contemporary take a look at of North American electrical journey. He went to Reddit to speak about it. 

“Good day, everybody. I did numerous poking round on right here whereas researching this journey, so I figured it could be useful so as to add my very own write-up for folks planning sooner or later, in case it’s helpful.

I’m from Anchorage and nonetheless have household there. Not too long ago, a member of the family was fascinated about getting a brand new EV, however the delivery as much as Anchorage was problematic and/or costly. I’m not an EV proprietor, and I don’t actually comply with what’s happening, however it seems like there was some sort of accident or hearth with a container ship just lately, which implies that delivery up there both isn’t taking place or could be very dear.

I wanted a break from work and had needed to try this drive once more for some time, so I agreed to drive it up from the place they bought it in Washington to Anchorage by means of Canada.

We checked out taking the ferry for a part of the way in which from Bellingham to Haines, however it was additionally pricey, they usually solely sail as soon as per week today, so the timing was a bit awkward. I’ve executed that leg in a automobile up to now (in an ICE automobile), and it’s a blast if you happen to don’t thoughts sleeping on the deck of the ferry. As of late, I’m not certain my decrease again could be too pleased with that call.

So the all-land route it was.

I’ll break this down into sections and a day-by-day fast log. Soar round if you’d like. I actually favored having the element once I was doing my very own analysis, so I apologize if it’s too nitpicky.

Abstract

6 driving days, starting from 5–10 hours of drive time. The longest cost time was 4–5 hours in a city the place the quick charger was damaged. Sometimes charged up above 80% given the unpredictability and distances concerned within the extra distant areas. I by no means acquired stranded, however it was a bit dicey in spots. Total, significantly better charging help than I anticipated, particularly in BC, the place the infrastructure is on the level the place you don’t actually need to do a lot pre-planning. No actual regrets or massive issues I’d change.

Even Shorter Abstract

Enjoyable drive, a bit traumatic generally, price it, lengthy, stunning!

Car

I drove the 2026 Kia EV9. I feel they’ve solely been out for a short while. I imagine it was the long-range mannequin. Like I stated, it’s not my automobile and I’m not an EV man, so I don’t know an excessive amount of about this side. I do know I had to make use of a CCS charger adapter at virtually each cease.

I favored the automobile rather a lot. It’s fairly massive for somebody like me, however for his or her household with children, I feel it is smart. It has fairly a little bit of vary, and realistically, it’s solely in locations like northwestern Canada that you just actually really feel the constraints. I actually favored the driving help options. In my day-to-day, I drive a fairly primary (however nonetheless nice) Subaru with out numerous bells and whistles. The lane-keeping help was superior. Much less practical on rougher roads, in fact, however on highways, I may set cruise management and lane help and just about let the automobile drive. Unsure if I’m presupposed to say that.

The one draw back is that the local weather management cuts into the mileage considerably. It took me a few days to determine this out. Additionally, the charging port is on the other aspect of the automobile from numerous different EVs, which makes it a bit awkward to orient whereas parking at a charger that different individuals are at or might arrive at. Not insurmountable, although.

Route

I took I-5 north by means of Seattle, then reduce east at Bellingham to cross the border extra close to Abbotsford than Vancouver itself. From there, I went by means of Kamloops, Cache Creek, Prince George, Fort Nelson (skipping Dawson), Watson Lake, Whitehorse, Beaver Creek, Tok, Glennallen, and led to Anchorage. I finished in additional locations than that, clearly, however that ought to offer you one thing to place right into a map.

This was based mostly on a mix of locations I needed to see, charging spots I knew about, avoiding forest fires, staying inside some vary of companies in case of an issue, and drivable distances. I’ll get into it extra within the day-by-day.

Lodging

I stayed in a lodge (of some description) each night time. If I had been to do that once more and had extra flexibility, I feel staying at RV parks and tenting could be a very good choice, as a result of I feel a very good variety of them are beginning to or have already got chargers that work moderately effectively in a single day. As a result of I used to be solely driving a method, I couldn’t deliver all my tenting gear since I wouldn’t be capable to take it on the airplane on the way in which again. Or it could have been a large trouble. Plus, once more, decrease again points. However you would positively do that a bit cheaper and a bit extra rustic.

The primary problem was that I used to be typically enjoying it by ear, the place I might find yourself on any given night time on account of uncertainty round charger availability and cost time. If I confirmed up and needed to wait for somebody to complete charging, or if the charger wasn’t obtainable, the longer charging occasions additional north (50 kW if you happen to had been fortunate) made it onerous to order lodge rooms forward of time. Day-of is typically cheaper if they should promote a room, however it may be an actual roll of the cube.

Value

For six nights, charging, meals, snacks, espresso, and so on., my price as 1 individual was about $1,700 USD. Tenting would make this rather a lot cheaper. I prefer to attempt eating places once I’m in new locations, so you would decrease meals prices if you happen to had been extra frugal.

Since charging in Yukon was free, solely about $300 was the charging expense. Cheaper than gasoline for certain.

Sources

I used A Higher Route Planner, which I’m certain you all find out about. Additional north, I relied extra on the official apps of the charging utilities, BC Hydro, and Flo within the Yukon. I additionally began stopping in at each city’s customer heart and speaking to the desk employees. They’re typically conscious of recent chargers earlier than the apps replace. For instance: “They simply put in a brand new charger at Johnson’s Crossing,” or “I feel that RV park has a quick charger now,” even when it wasn’t within the apps but.

One problem was that the Kia was not linked to ABRP, so ABRP couldn’t entry my real-world driving effectivity information and regulate its predictions. A few occasions, ABRP assumed I might arrive in a city with 25% battery left, and I confirmed up with 6%. Usually, not a problem, however in areas with massive stretches between chargers, it was a bit nerve-wracking.

I additionally used the Milepost, which I purchased a bodily copy of. I might flip by means of it at charging stops to see if there have been factors of curiosity developing. I like to recommend it. They’ve good EV charging data since they replace yearly.”

I-5 north by means of Washington, east at Bellingham into Abbotsford, then into the spine of British Columbia, Kamloops, Prince George, Fort Nelson, earlier than slicing throughout the Yukon by means of Watson Lake and Whitehorse, then into Alaska through Beaver Creek, Tok, and Glennallen. The romance was within the particulars. BC Hydro chargers are tucked behind workplace buildings and customer facilities. 

2026 Kia EV9 Vary & Dimensions 

• EPA estimates span 230–304 miles relying on trim; the longest is the Gentle Lengthy Vary RWD at 304 miles (99.8-kWh pack). 
• On a 350-kW DC quick charger, Kia says 10–80% in about 20–24 minutes (mannequin/pack dependent). 
• Huge three-row footprint, 197 in L / 78 in W / 70–71 in H / 122 in wheelbase, with a flat-floor EV platform to maximise cabin house. 
• Kia invested $200M and started EV9 meeting in West Level, Georgia, in 2024 (first EV in-built GA), including 200 jobs, a part of a broader HMG footprint rising throughout the state.

5-hour charging periods in tiny Yukon cities the place the charger topped out at 50 kW. Resort check-ins are dictated not by temper or climate, however by the whims of kilowatt-hours. This was the form of trivia a driver used to “fill’er up” may by no means contemplate, however in EV territory, it was the distinction between a snug in a single day and a stranded night.

The EV9 itself proved an ready associate. Lengthy-range battery, roomy inside, and driver-assist options that turned empty highways into simple miles. Lane holding and adaptive cruise “just about let the automobile drive” on clean stretches, although rougher roads required arms firmly on the wheel. Quirks included a charging port on the “fallacious” aspect for a lot of stations and a speedometer stubbornly caught in miles per hour, even when the velocity restrict show transformed to metric. 

Local weather management was the silent battery thief, shaving vary dramatically till he found the effectivity increase of merely turning it off.

How The Kia EV9 AC Impacts Vary 

Charging infrastructure was higher than anticipated, significantly in British Columbia, the place the community required little preplanning. 

“Didn’t ever get stranded,” he reported, “however it was a bit dicey in spots.” 

The distant north required vigilance and generally old-school arithmetic; he stored a handwritten log of precise distances, predicted vary, and battery share to appropriate the Kia EV9’s overly optimistic estimates by about 25 %. 

With AC off, he may typically beat the numbers, giving him confidence to sort out the longest, charge-less stretches.

Meals ranged from ahi-guacamole plates in Whitehorse to grilled cheese and tomato soup in Glennallen. Nights had been spent in motels, some with EV chargers, some with out, and all the time with the quiet satisfaction of ahead progress.

2026 Kia EV9 U.S. Remembers & Gross sales

• 2024 EV9 Land/GT-Line with Distant Sensible Parking Help, 12,400 autos, for a software program error that might misjudge stopping distance; supplier replace obtainable (NHTSA 24V-693 / Kia SC324). 
• Sure 2024–2025 EV9 items the place the cluster may intermittently go clean at start-up (24V-757); software program treatment issued. 
• 2024–2025 EV9, potential lacking 2nd/Third-row seat bolts; ~22,883 autos affected (24V-962). 
• In July 2025, Kia reported 1,737 EV9s offered (YTD 6,675, vs. 11,486 YTD in 2024); Could 2025 noticed an uncommon dip that drew consideration.

Reddit customers devoured the write-up. Beginning_Key2167 remarked, 

“As an EV proprietor, that is past superior… There need to be a number of locations within the US we will’t reliably go anymore.” 

Mallcop2020 praised the element and humor, asking if the journey had transformed him.. 

“I’m gonna drive my present automobile into the filth… however sooner or later, certain.” 

He favored the EV9, noticed the benefit within the know-how, however was not able to signal the papers simply but.

By the ultimate plug-in, exterior a Subway in Glennallen, drama_observer was an skilled EV traveler. The journey had taken per week, price about $1,700 together with meals and lodging, and proved that electrical street journeys to Alaska should not solely attainable however sensible.

Picture Sources: Kia Media Middle

Noah Washington is an automotive journalist based mostly in Atlanta, Georgia. He enjoys masking the newest information within the automotive trade and conducting opinions on the newest vehicles. He has been within the automotive trade since 15 years previous and has been featured in outstanding automotive information websites. You may attain him on X and LinkedIn for ideas and to comply with his automotive protection.