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In the world of new-car ownership, the first road trip is the automotive equivalent of a first date. You’ve seen the specs, read the reviews, maybe even bragged a little to friends, but until you’ve packed the thing with luggage, snacks, and a restless backseat crew, you don’t really know it.
That’s why a recent post on r/Ioniq9 stood out: a Hyundai Ioniq 9 owner from New Orleans aimed his three-row Korean flagship at Colorado and back, logging every charging stop, every network handshake, every kilowatt like a man determined to write the owner’s manual Hyundai forgot to print…
“Picked up the car (‘26 Calligraphy, 21s AWD Performance) in Frederick, Colorado. I used it on vacation, then drove it back to New Orleans. I relied mostly on ABRP in CarPlay with “live” enode data from the I9, which I’ll explain more about later. I set up Hyundai Pay and AutoCharge (plug and charge) on all networks possible, including EVgo and Tesla. On average, I saw about 2.0 mi/kWh, driving fast at over 80 mph in 90-plus degree temperatures with a full car.
Day one was from the Denver area to Amarillo, Texas. I started with a 52% state of charge due to limited L1 charging at the house. The first stop was an EVgo/GM Energy 350 kW charger in Castle Rock, Colorado, at a Whole Foods location. AutoCharge+ worked right out of the box, delivering peaks of 220 kW and holding steady. The next stop was Electrify America in Trinidad, which was frustrating because EA chargers seem to require a lot of trial and error to start. With membership and NFC Apple Wallet card activated, the charger eventually peaked at around 200 kW but fluctuated between 170 and 200 for no clear reason. Then I charged at a Tesla Supercharger in Clayton, New Mexico, which remains one of my favorites.
It is located at a “Ranch Market” in a small ranch town, and the bank of superchargers looks completely out of place in this Tex-Mex cowboy setting with boots, hats, and western shirts everywhere. I even saw an F-150 Lightning charging there. The spots are diagonal pull-ins, so the I9 stuck halfway out while charging on the opposite side, which was not too bad but looked unusual. I ended the day with an overnight Tesla Destination Charger at the Holiday Inn Express in Amarillo. These used to be free in my early Tesla days, but now cost $0.25 per kWh, which is still reasonable.
Day two took me from Amarillo to Austin, Texas, starting with a full charge from overnight. My first stop was a Tesla Supercharger in Post, Texas, which was an easy plug-and-charge experience. Speeds were limited to 160 kW but consistent and reliable. I stopped at an EVgo in Abilene, Texas, where AutoCharge+ worked very well and speeds stayed at a solid 220 kW. Flying J and Pilot centers are now rolling out these GM Energy/EVgo chargers, and the new ones are rated at 350 kW.
My last charge of the day was at the Rivian Adventure Network in Cisco, Texas. These chargers are outstanding. Although I have the Rivian app, I simply tapped my Amex on the post and it immediately started. Charging held above 200 kW with a flat curve, tapering only slightly after 70 percent and staying strong until above 95 percent. The posts are tall, well-designed, and feature a clear interface that is positioned away from direct sunlight.
Day three was Austin to New Orleans, again starting with a full charge from the hotel. My first stop was the Tesla Supercharger in Baytown, Texas, now upgraded to V4 units.
The longer cords are a big help for opposite-side charging on the I9. Speeds were a steady 160 kW, and the location at Buc-ee’s made it a pleasant stop with plenty of amenities. I then stopped at the Tesla Supercharger in Sulphur, Louisiana, which is a V2 site located in the parking lot of a run-down Residence Inn. While the setting was not great, the charging speed was still 160 kW. The final stop was an EVgo/GM Energy station in Lafayette, Louisiana. This Pilot location was equipped with 350 kW hardware and delivered consistent 200 kW speeds for most of the session. My experience with these stations has been very positive overall.
When it comes to a charging hierarchy, Rivian is at the top for speed, ease of use, and build quality, followed closely by Tesla for reliability, station count, and coverage. Tesla chargers are everywhere in Colorado and Texas and are often the only option in New Mexico. Louisiana has a decent Tesla presence, along with Rivian and EVgo/GM Energy stations. If EVgo/GM Energy had more locations, I would prefer them over Tesla purely for the higher charging speed.
Tesla chargers always work, but their current cap of 160 kW on my car leaves some room for improvement. The NACS port on the I9 is excellent, and the included adapters worked well. Tesla sessions initiated with the Hyundai app or Tesla app were easy to start, though Hyundai’s billing details are vague and do not clearly indicate Tesla usage. EVgo/GM Energy has been a pleasant surprise with strong reliability and fast charging, though their sites would benefit from shade canopies in hotter climates. Rivian chargers are rare but excellent in every way.
The I9 itself proved to be a comfortable and spacious family vehicle with plenty of power for highway driving. The captain’s chairs in the middle row are excellent, and the massaging driver’s seat with automatic hourly activation is a great feature. Driver assistance systems are solid, on par with or slightly behind Tesla’s standard Autopilot.
The Bose sound system is very good, and wireless CarPlay and Android Auto are both smooth to use. The lighting is strong, the road presence is commanding, and the interior storage is well thought out. There are USB-C ports throughout the cabin, each delivering 100 watts, and connectivity is excellent. The Wi-Fi hotspot only works when CarPlay is off, which limits its usefulness.
Not everything was perfect. The entry system is inconsistent, and the digital key only works part of the time. Sometimes my watch card would unlock the car, and sometimes it would not. The fingerprint reader is nice, but it does not unlock the vehicle, and I wish the phone could automatically identify the driver and load settings without additional steps. Hyundai’s built-in EV route planning is clunky, slow, and defaults heavily to Tesla chargers. It is not good at dynamically rerouting based on the state of charge or real-time conditions.
Live traffic updates are slow, and the interface feels dated. ABRP integration is an improvement over Hyundai’s system, but still not as seamless as Tesla’s navigation. It updates slowly, does not always detect when charging begins or ends, and does not display well in split-screen CarPlay. The wireless phone charger works, but it gets the phone so hot that it throttles performance, which affects CarPlay animations and map tracking.
We may have one of the first I9s in our area, and a lot of Tesla owners seemed surprised to see a large three-row SUV charging at Superchargers. It stood out among the sleeker Teslas and occasional Cybertrucks. It felt like a preview of a future where any EV can use any charger without it being unusual.”
Over three days, the route stitched Denver to Amarillo, then Amarillo to Austin, then Austin to New Orleans.
Hyundai Ioniq 9 Fast Facts
- Hyundai’s biggest EV yet: a true three-row on the E-GMP platform with a 123.2-inch wheelbase (3,130 mm) for adult-usable 3rd-row space.
- One big battery, quick turnarounds: 110.3 kWh pack and 10–80% DC fast-charge in ~24 min on a 350 kW charger (U.S. cars ship with a CCS adapter).
- EPA range target up to ~335 mi for the Long Range RWD on 19-in wheels.
- U.S. production at Hyundai Motor Group’s Metaplant America; production started in 2025, with U.S. sales following and eligibility targeted for the $7,500 federal credit.
He sampled nearly every flavor of charging: EVgo, Electrify America, Tesla Superchargers, even a Rivian Adventure Network post in small-town Texas. Peaks of 220 kW at GM Energy/EVgo hardware, the steady 160 kW ceiling on Tesla plugs, the flat-curve punch of Rivian chargers, each got its place in his personal hierarchy.
Day one’s highs and lows were classic road-trip fare. AutoCharge+ at Castle Rock worked perfectly, EA at Trinidad demanded patience, and the Clayton, New Mexico, Supercharger provided electricity alongside F-150 Lightnings in a cowboy-town grocery lot. By day two, Texas was dotted with dependable Superchargers, high-power EVgo stops, and the surprise star of the trip: Rivian’s Cisco station, where a simple Amex tap delivered above-200 kW charging until nearly full. Day three brought V4 Superchargers at Buc-ee’s in Baytown and a final high-speed EVgo run in Lafayette, Louisiana, quiet proof that the right infrastructure can make a 1,000-mile leg feel easy.
The verdict? Rivian on top for speed, ease of use, and build quality; Tesla second for reliability and reach; EVgo/GM Energy a solid third with surprising consistency. Electrify America was there, too, but only after a little coaxing. The NACS port on the Ioniq 9 made Tesla charging feel native, adapters were seamless, and the Hyundai and Tesla apps both initiated sessions without fuss. If EVgo could match Tesla’s coverage and Rivian’s polish, our road-tripper implied, the charging conversation might look very different.
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Inside, the Ioniq 9 proved itself a long-haul companion. Captain’s chairs in the middle row, a massaging driver’s seat, a Bose stereo, and 100-watt USB-C ports throughout made it a rolling lounge. Driver assistance sat just shy of Tesla’s Autopilot, CarPlay was smooth, and the lighting gave it real presence. But the romance dimmed with the software quirks: the digital key worked intermittently, the fingerprint reader wouldn’t unlock the car, route planning felt clunky, and the wireless phone charger baked devices to the point of throttling CarPlay animations.
The Reddit comments became a story of their own. “Everything vehicle-related is an upgrade… everything software related is a downgrade,” wrote MyDogsBurnerAcct, lamenting the lack of walk-away auto-lock as “borderline criminal in 2025.” ItsQrank added a counterpoint from a 2,000-mile New Mexico–California run, doubting Tesla charger speeds and preferring EA for consistency.
Hyundai Ioniq 9 Party Tricks
- V2L and 400V/800V multi-charging flexibility are baked in.
- Available second-row “Dynamic Body Care” massage features (market/trim dependent).
- Stretched dimensions sized for U.S. families: 199.2 in L / 77.9 in W / 70.4 in H (6- or 7-pass configurations).
- Aero-focused body, huge flat floor, and long-wheelbase stance to quiet the ride and maximize space.
These weren’t armchair critics, they were seasoned EV drivers trading hard-earned lessons in public view, the kind of back-and-forth that refines an owner’s understanding faster than any brochure.
And then came the tangents that only happen in forums: snoopyfl wondering if the Ioniq 9 could double as a climate-controlled camper; OP replying that Hyundai should “fix the routing for the normies” and just license Tesla’s system; veteran EV owners shaking their heads that, a decade in, most brands still trail Tesla in software.
The big picture is clear: the Ioniq 9 can eat miles with ease, the charging ecosystem is both better and stranger than advertised, and the real bottleneck isn’t the battery, it’s the code. We’ve reached a point where the hardware can cross the continent, but the user experience still requires apps, adapters, and a willingness to improvise. Watching a three-row Hyundai under a Supercharger canopy may feel like a glimpse of the future, but as this road trip proves, it’s a future still finding its rhythm.
Image Sources: Hyundai Media Center
Noah Washington is an automotive journalist based in Atlanta, Georgia. He enjoys covering the latest news in the automotive industry and conducting reviews on the latest cars. He has been in the automotive industry since 15 years old and has been featured in prominent automotive news sites. You can reach him on X and LinkedIn for tips and to follow his automotive coverage.
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Source: torquenews.com
