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Kia EV9 vs Ford Explorer Cost of Ownership

Kia EV9 against Ford Explorer: the running-cost gap for a three-row family SUV, and whether it covers the EV9's higher price.

Updated · By Niraj Kumar · 6 sources

The cars

$

Light RWD starting price. Replace it with your quote.

$

Active RWD, 23 mpg combined.

Where and how you charge

%
0%100%

The rest is public fast charging. Most owners with a driveway charge 80-90% at home.

¢/kWh

California residential average (EIA). Enter the all-in rate from your bill to override.

¢/kWh

Driving

years
1 yr10 yrs
$per gallon

California average for regular (AAA).

Fine-tune

%
0%10%
%
0%10%
%
0%8%

About 2% is typical; the loss slows after that. Hot climates and frequent fast charging push it up.

$

The federal credit ended for cars bought after 30 September 2025.

$

Set to 0 if you already have one or will use a standard outlet.

$
$

Assumed full coverage; replace both with quotes.

How you payHow you pay
Over 7 yearsGas saves $4,808The EV does not catch up within 7 years

The Kia EV9 costs 15.0¢ a mile to charge, against 26.9¢ a mile in gas for the Ford Explorer.

Kia EV9, total cost
$79,622
94.8¢ a mile, all in
Ford Explorer, total cost
$74,814
89.1¢ a mile, all in
EV price premium repaid
Not in 7 yrs
from running savings, before resale
Battery at the end
92%
about 212 of 230 miles of range
CO₂ avoided
19.6 tonnes
at the US grid average
Cost of ownership if sold at the end of each yearKia EV9Ford Explorer
$0$20 K$40 K$60 K$80 K$79.62 K$74.81 K1234567
Cash saved by choosing the EV, before resaleStill to recoverAhead
$-20 K$-15 K$-10 K$-5 K$001234567
Where the money goes over 7 years
CostKia EV9Ford Explorer
Purchase less resale$43,240$28,194
Charging or gas$13,694$24,010
Maintenance$5,040$7,560
Insurance$16,800$15,050
EV registration fees$847$0
Total$79,622$74,814
Year-by-year costs and battery healthShow
YearChargingGasBatteryRangeEV cost to dateGas car cost to date
1$1,795$3,23098%225 mi$26,866$18,147
2$1,851$3,29496%222 mi$38,546$29,100
3$1,903$3,36095%220 mi$48,081$38,911
4$1,955$3,42795%217 mi$56,572$48,386
5$2,009$3,49694%216 mi$64,566$57,527
6$2,063$3,56693%214 mi$72,066$66,336
7$2,119$3,63792%212 mi$79,622$74,814

How the Kia EV9 vs Ford Explorer Cost of Ownership works

TCO = Price × (1 + tax) − rebates + charger + Σ₍y₎ [energy₍y₎ + maintenance + insurance + fees] + interest − resale₍N₎

This page uses the same method as the EV vs Gas Total Cost of Ownership Calculator, which explains each term and assumption in full.

Worked example

A Kia EV9 Light RWD ($54,900) against a Ford Explorer Active RWD ($40,260) in California, driven 12,000 miles a year for 7 years, paid in cash, charging 80% at home.

  1. 1Home electricity costs about 33.6¢ a kWh; with 20% fast charging at 48.0¢ the blend is 36.5¢
  2. 2At 41 kWh/100 mi the Kia EV9 costs 15.0¢ a mile; at 23 mpg and $6.19 a gallon the Ford Explorer costs 26.9¢ a mile
  3. 3Buying costs $61,357 for the EV with tax and a home charger, against $43,895
  4. 4After 7 years the battery keeps about 92% of its capacity, and the cars would sell for about $18,117 and $15,701

Over 7 years the Kia EV9 costs $79,622 to own and the Ford Explorer $74,814, so the gas car comes out $4,808 cheaper at these assumptions.

Frequently asked questions

How much more does the EV9 cost than an Explorer?

About $14,600 at list prices: $54,900 for the EV9 Light RWD and $40,260 for the Explorer Active. That is a large premium, but a 23 mpg SUV also spends heavily on gas, so high-mileage families recover more of it than the average driver.

How much more does the Kia EV9 cost upfront than the Ford Explorer?

Paid in cash in California, the Kia EV9 Light RWD costs $61,357 on day one with sales tax and a home charger, against $43,895 for the Ford Explorer Active RWD, $17,462 more. Charging then costs about $1,795 a year against $3,230 in gas at 12,000 miles, a difference of $1,434 a year before maintenance and insurance.

Sources

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