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

“Enjoyable drive, slightly demanding generally, value it, lengthy, lovely!” 

That was how Reddit consumer 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 transport was snarled and costly as a result 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 lots of poking round on right here whereas researching this journey, so I figured it will be useful so as to add my very own write-up for individuals planning sooner or later, in case it’s helpful.

I’m from Anchorage and nonetheless have household there. Just lately, a member of the family was desirous about getting a brand new EV, however the transport as much as Anchorage was problematic and/or costly. I’m not an EV proprietor, and I don’t actually observe what’s happening, however it feels like there was some type of accident or hearth with a container ship lately, which implies that transport up there both isn’t occurring or could be very expensive.

I wanted a break from work and had wished 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 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 nowadays, so the timing was slightly awkward. I’ve carried out that leg in a automotive prior to now (in an ICE automotive), and it’s a blast if you happen to don’t thoughts sleeping on the deck of the ferry. Today, I’m not positive 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. Leap round in order for you. I actually appreciated having the element after 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 bought stranded, however it was slightly dicey in spots. Total, a lot better charging assist than I anticipated, particularly in BC, the place the infrastructure is on the level the place you don’t actually must do a lot pre-planning. No actual regrets or huge issues I’d change.

Even Shorter Abstract

Enjoyable drive, slightly demanding generally, value it, lengthy, lovely!

Car

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

I appreciated the automotive so much. It’s fairly huge for somebody like me, however for his or her household with youngsters, I feel it is sensible. It has fairly a little bit of vary, and realistically, it’s solely in locations like northwestern Canada that you simply actually really feel the constraints. I actually appreciated the driving help options. In my day-to-day, I drive a reasonably primary (however nonetheless nice) Subaru with out lots of bells and whistles. The lane-keeping help was superior. Much less useful on rougher roads, in fact, however on highways, I may set cruise management and lane help and just about let the automotive drive. Unsure if I’m purported 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 alternative facet of the automotive from lots of different EVs, which makes it slightly awkward to orient whereas parking at a charger that different individuals are at or could arrive at. Not insurmountable, although.

Route

I took I-5 north by Seattle, then lower east at Bellingham to cross the border extra close to Abbotsford than Vancouver itself. From there, I went by 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 provide you with one thing to place right into a map.

This was based mostly on a mixture of locations I wished 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 evening. If I had been to do that once more and had extra flexibility, I feel staying at RV parks and tenting could be an excellent possibility, as a result of I feel an excellent 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 technique, I couldn’t convey all my tenting gear since I wouldn’t be capable of take it on the airplane on the way in which again. Or it will have been an enormous problem. Plus, once more, decrease again points. However you could possibly undoubtedly do that slightly cheaper and slightly extra rustic.

The primary problem was that I used to be usually taking part in it by ear, the place I’d find yourself on any given evening as a result 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 accessible, the longer charging occasions additional north (50 kW if you happen to had been fortunate) made it arduous 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 forth., my price as 1 particular person was about $1,700 USD. Tenting would make this so much cheaper. I prefer to attempt eating places after I’m in new locations, so you could possibly 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 positive.

Assets

I used A Higher Route Planner, which I’m positive 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 workers. They’re usually conscious of latest chargers earlier than the apps replace. For instance: “They only 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’d arrive in a city with 25% battery left, and I confirmed up with 6%. Usually, not a difficulty, however in areas with huge stretches between chargers, it was slightly nerve-wracking.

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

I-5 north by Washington, east at Bellingham into Abbotsford, then into the spine of British Columbia, Kamloops, Prince George, Fort Nelson, earlier than reducing throughout the Yukon by 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 Mild 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). 
• Large 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 area. 
• 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 classes in tiny Yukon cities the place the charger topped out at 50 kW. Lodge 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 think about, however in EV territory, it was the distinction between a cushty in a single day and a stranded night.

The EV9 itself proved an ready companion. Lengthy-range battery, roomy inside, and driver-assist options that turned empty highways into simple miles. Lane maintaining and adaptive cruise “just about let the automotive drive” on easy stretches, although rougher roads required fingers firmly on the wheel. Quirks included a charging port on the “fallacious” facet 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, notably in British Columbia, the place the community required little preplanning. 

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

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

With AC off, he may usually 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 at all times with the quiet satisfaction of ahead progress.

2026 Kia EV9 U.S. Remembers & Gross sales

• 2024 EV9 Land/GT-Line with Distant Good Parking Help, 12,400 automobiles, for a software program error that might misjudge stopping distance; supplier replace accessible (NHTSA 24V-693 / Kia SC324). 
• Sure 2024–2025 EV9 models 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 automobiles 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 must be just a few 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 automotive into the filth… however sooner or later, positive.” 

He appreciated the EV9, noticed the advantage within the expertise, however was not able to signal the papers simply but.

By the ultimate plug-in, outdoors 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 aren’t solely potential however sensible.

Picture Sources: Kia Media Middle

Noah Washington is an automotive journalist based mostly in Atlanta, Georgia. He enjoys overlaying the newest information within the automotive business and conducting critiques on the newest vehicles. He has been within the automotive business since 15 years previous and has been featured in outstanding automotive information websites. You possibly can attain him on X and LinkedIn for suggestions and to observe his automotive protection.