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True for the Kia, not as true on Teslas. Once NACS and the IONNA charging network and Walmart Charging Network roll out, I expect to see a lot more competition on rates. EA and Chargpoint have non-Tesla drivers by the junk these days with rates because there's no real alternative. Once you put the purchasing power of Walmart and 6 of the major automotive manufacturers behind two competing networks, EA and Chargepoint will need to relent. On a recent Tesla trip, I got as low as 24 c/KwH at a supercharger. At those rates, even public charging is cheaper than fuel. As someone who worked in this industry, be very careful with this if you decide to go forward. The loans on the install are NOT transferable to new owners and often have early payoff charges. This can cause big headaches if you go to sell your property even 10 years down the road. Additionally, unless you're in an area with extreme utility rates like California, the solar cells don't add enough value to the home to cover the cost of the install, meaning you can potentially put yourself under water on the value of your home. I love the IDEA of solar, I hate what the financing structure has done with it. They make all their money on your loan, and very little on the installation and electricity sold. They might not even talk to you if you offered to pay cash for it. Unfortunately, it is likely that Tesla is going to end up saving that industry, too, because they're the only ones who don't structure the financing that way. There's a 2-3 year wait for them and they're focusing on only certain states.

There won't be any that are MSRP cheaper than an ICE, but with certain lease rates, there are several that are cheaper to lease then the equivalent ICE. Model Y versus BMW X3 is the first that comes to mind. Now we can quibble over which one has a nicer interior (The BMW) and build quality (The BMW), but Tesla doesn't try to charge you a subscription for heated seats and nickel and dime you for accessories like active cruise. These two are pretty close in terms of carrying capacity and price. The Teslas routinely lease better, that's why they are outselling BMW. The Kia EV9 is a 7/8ths sized Tahoe and it is lock-step price equivalent to a Tahoe all the way up the trim and options sheet. Is it a size equivalent to a Traverse? Sure, but it's got the power of the Tahoe, so the comparison gets murky. Several EVs have cheap lease deals right now. The Subaru Soltara, the Kia EV6, the Ioniq 5, and certain trims of the Ioniq 6 are just some examples. Right now, an Ioniq 6 SEL is $2k down and $289 for a 24-month lease. A Sonata SEL is $2k down and $348 for a 36-month lease, 24 isn't even an option. Sonata SEL Hybrid is $418/month - $2k down. A loaded Ioniq 6 Limited with $2k down is $442/m - 36 months. That's pretty easy math when one fill-up per month in the mid-range Sonata Hybrid puts you over the lease rate of a loaded Ioniq 6.

Sounds horrific. Last time I was in LA in '15, I had a Tahoe...before that, maybe a 350Z rented at LAX 20 years ago (when I visited So Cal from '08-15, I drove over from Phoenix).

WOW sounds like a rough bare bone auto that most folks should just pass on.