A luxurious three-row electric SUV from Kia is previewed. A $2.5 billion federal program will help get more charging to communities and local travel corridors, over years. And what’s the greatest safety concern related to EVs? This and more, here at Green Car Reports. 

Kia provided a first look at its upcoming 2024 EV9 electric SUV, and it borrows extensively from the 2021 concept vehicle of the same name—including second-row seats that will pivot 90 degrees to the side for easier access or swivel around to face the third row. Full details on the luxurious EV9 are due later this month. 

The Biden administration on Tuesday officially opened the $2.5 billion program focused around community EV charging. Part of the $7.5 billion designated toward a national charging network under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law in 2021, the program balances with the highway-focused NEVI program that provides funding at the state level and already has interest from Tesla, among others. 

And in looking at electric vehicle crash safety, crash tests and real-world incidents have already shown that battery fires aren’t a primary concern. The extra weight of EVs is a threat to the safety of everyone else on the road though, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety argued in a recent post. 

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