With the Niro EV debuting in 2019 and an electric Soul model available since the 2014 model year, Kia is hardly a novice to the world of electric cars. But with the introduction of the brand-new 2022 EV6, the automaker has significantly improved its EV lineup.
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How is a Kia EV6 charged?
The CCS charging standard, which has a combination AC and DC intake connector, is what the Kia EV6 makes use of. The Type 2 connector, which is used while charging at home or at public slow and fast AC ports, fits into the top portion of the inlet. High power is transported via the upper and lower regions of the intake during rapid DC charging. The CCS charging input for the Kia EV6 is located on the off-side rear flank, which is where the car’s side and rear come together.
Depending on the network and kind of charge unit, the Kia EV6 can be charged at public points in a slow, fast, or rapid manner. Fast charging often requires a Type 2-to-Type 2 cable, whereas slow charging typically calls for a 3-pin-to-Type 2. One of these cables is typically included with the vehicle. The vehicle employs a tethered CCS connector, which is a component of the charging unit, for quick charging.
Is Kia switching to all-electric vehicles?
California’s Roseville A new electric vehicle from Kia has been unveiled, and it’s a nice one.
Meet the 2022 Kia EV6, a small crossover SUV that debuted in all 50 states this past February. Later this year, the EV6’s GT, a more potent variant, will be released.
Stylish
Future plans for the South Korean manufacturer are aspirational. The parent company of Kia, which is a member of the Hyundai Motor Group, has declared a plan to produce 11 all-electric vehicles by 2026.
The Hyundai Ioniq 5 EV and the EV6 both have the same platform, but that’s about where the similarities end. The EV6 is far more fashionable, in part because of its slender roofline, which makes it difficult to tell whether it is a hatchback or an SUV.
Although Kia didn’t use much creativity in calling the EV6, it did create a sleek SUV that can seat five people. It looks more athletic and aggressive than the Ioniq 5 thanks to its low-mounted headlamps and taillights that span the width of the vehicle. Additionally, it boasts a novel retractable door handle design and a highly raked windscreen.
The EV6a battery comes in two different battery pack sizes: 58 kWh and 77 kWh. The SUV has an estimated range of 300 miles thanks to the larger battery, which is about 25 miles more than the smaller model. The EV6 can charge its battery from 10% to 80% of its capacity in around 18 minutes using an 800-volt charger. For a full charge, using a Level 2 household outlet, it takes roughly seven hours.
Does the EV6 include a home charger?
The EV6’s revolutionary 800V E-GMP charging system, which has a theoretical maximum output of 250kW, has a ton of subtleties. Kia advertises charging from 10% to 80% or 210 miles in 18 minutes, or increasing range by 62 miles in 5 minutes. Even while those results are obviously under ideal circumstances, they nonetheless set an incredible new standard for the sector.
- For better or worse, the EV6 doesn’t come with a Level 1 or 2 charging cable. Speaking with the team, I believe the reasoning is that adding a $1,000 component and the complexity that goes along with it is unnecessary because some people may already have a charging station at home, may not have a garage, and/or may be able to choose the best model for them at a lower cost from an online retailer. That makes sense for someone like me who already has like five different EV chargers at home, but for a first-time EV consumer, it significantly increases the complexity of purchasing an EV. A $200 charging cable included as a bonus would be very sensible. For what it’s worth, when given the choice between the three options, 1219 out of 1500 owners of EV6 First Editions chose a charging cable (rather than a charge credit or an Apple Watch).
- If your home or L2 charger can handle it, the inbuilt AC charging station charges at 240V/48A 11.5kW, which is fantastic. Many L2 chargers have a 32A rating, which means that charging will happen much more slowly.
- We attempted to charge at the one DC fast charging station nearby (located via Plugshare), but it never started. A strange 100kW DC fast charging station without any branding that appeared to be utilized for municipal vehicles was available for free (?). Others were able to plug into an Electrify America station in Santa Rosa, some 30 minutes away, and received a respectable but far from sufficient charge. I advise the Kia team to consider including a quick charging point on the route the following timeour readers want to hear about it!
- Kia doesn’t appear to have made any announcements about a cooperation with EA or another company like EVGO, but it appears that they will soon. Since Hyundai’s brother is affiliated with EA, I would place my bet there.
- Hope customers enjoy backing into your charging stations since the charge port is in the rear passenger corner. And it might become dirty there.
kW DC Charger
On a different day, but at the same Electrify America station, we conducted our EV6 test. Possibly by chance, the temperature was below freezing this time29 degreesas opposed to 53 degrees for the Ioniq 5. Due to the fact that we are not regular thieves, we used the “available 350-kW charger. The 30-minute session increased the anticipated range from 58 to 221 miles, increased the state of charge from 23 to 84 percent, and added 52.5 kWh for a total cost of $22.36.
As with the Ioniq 5, the charging rate increased to 130 kW after the battery’s level of charge reached 47 percent after starting out in the 70-kW range. Is there a magic number of 47 percent? Sadly, it never reached the same peak power as the Ioniq 5, even for a brief moment; perhaps this was because of the cooler weather. Its maximum power was 134.1 kW. The EV6 had been driven extensively before charging for more than an hour, just like the Ioniq 5.
What is the Kia EV6’s charging rate?
Range anxiety and charging times are false difficulties with electric automobiles, contrary to what early adopter EV enthusiasts claim. These are valid worries that, if not addressed, would prevent the expansion and widespread use of electric vehicles outside the enthusiast community.
But the market has now found a solution for both after more than a decade of false starts in the development and use of electric vehicles: extremely rapid charging.
The Hyundai Ioniq 5, which I drove and adored last year, has a corporate twin, the Kia EV6, which I was testing this week. I was truly amazed by how quickly DC fast charging can beless than 18 minutes to provide more than 200 miles of rangeand how it alters everything.
The innovative (and pricey) 800-volt architecture used by the EV6 was made possible by the enormous scale economies of the E-GMP platform, which will support the majority of the forthcoming EVs from Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis. Competitors with slower charging 400-volt systems include the Ford Mustang Mach-E, Volkswagen ID.4, and Polestar 2.
The rise in voltage is significant, but to understand why, we first discuss basic physics: Watts are calculated using the formula volts * amps. In plain English, it indicates that you must increase the volts, the amperage, or both in order to accelerate the charging of an electric vehicle (EV). The E-GMP platform can charge a 400-volt vehicle at the same amperage twice as quickly as an 800-volt vehicle by employing an 800-volt architecture instead of a 400-volt.
Though Tesla continues to use a 400V architecture, its Superchargers can accommodate significantly more amperage than the majority of other fast-charging locations. In order to sustain higher amperage, both the car and the charging cable require much more copper (a thicker cable, for example), alternate cooling techniques, and/or measures to prevent overheating. Tesla’s technology is either superior to that of the competition (maybe!) or the business is just a little less conservative than the rest of the sector (certainly! ), or more likely a little of both.
What is certain is that Hyundai and Kia invested a significant amount of money in the research and development of the 800-volt system, exchanging an initial financial outlay for a significantly improved product. This positions Hyundai Motor Group as a leader in the world’s transition to electric vehicles for many years to come. Hyundai and Kia are not the only luxury companies offering 800-volt EVs. Although Porsche and Audi are already selling them, the South Korean company is now the only major automaker to offer 800V vehicles.
I was astounded when I tested out a 350 kW Electrify America fast charger with my EV6. I walked into a Walmart parking lot with a 14 percent charge, swiped a credit card on a brand-new charger, and watched as electrons started to flow.
I had reached much over 200 kilowatts of charge in less than 30 seconds. According to research done by InsideEVs, that’s twice what you’d see with a Ford Mustang Mach-E, which just about manages 100 kilowatts from 10% to 40%.
My research supported Kia’s claim that the EV6 can charge from 10 to 80 percent in just 18 minutes, which is incredibly quick when compared to the Mach-(about E’s 45 minutes) and VW ID’s charging times.4 (about 35 minutes). I’ve given the Mach-E positive reviews on multiple occasions, however it takes approximately three times as long to charge from 10% to 80%, after which the charging rate drops precipitously to around 12 kilowatts.
Contrarily, the EV6 continued to charge at just over 100 kilowatts even after completing 80 percent of its charge cycle, which is as quickly as the Mach-E for the majority of its full charge cycle. A portion of this is attributable to Ford’s charging software’s conservative design, which, according to company engineers, was created expressly to safeguard the battery and may be loosened in the future. But now, when compared to other items in their price range, the Kia and Hyundai products are lightning-quick.
Due to the company’s Supercharger facilities, I used to suggest the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y as my go-to EVs for everyone. The Kia EV6 and Hyundai Ioniq 5 have risen to the top of my list of suggestions thanks to these remarkable charging speeds and a rapidly expanding network of very-high-speed third-party charging stations (Electrify America, in particular).
The time it takes to stop at a gas station, refuel, go inside for a toilet break, and choose which can of road trip Pringles you want is rapidly approaching the duration of an 18-minute charging session. With the EV6 and Ioniq 5 and whatever EVs they release next, it puts Kia and Hyundai in the front of the field.
Additionally, it puts the rest of the industry on the back foot right away, despite the fact that they’ll undoubtedly dispute it. The VW ID and Mustang Mach-E won’t be far behind. Four owners begin to gripe about how their fancy new EV recharges much more slowly while they watched a Kia roll in empty and roll out fully charged.
Nearly all EV owners engage in conversation at charging stations, sharing notes and taking an interest in different vehicles as if it were an unplanned auto show. The EV6 and Ioniq 5 also have the best chance of winning best of show by exiting first.
The Kia Sportage is electric, right?
The all-new Sportage Plug-in Hybrid has been fully described by Kia UK, including its low BIK tax band due to low CO2 emissions and a long electric range. The no-compromise electric SUV combines unrivaled practicality and convenience with extensive electric-only mobility and great fuel economy.
The all-new Sportage Plug-in Hybrid, built on a cutting-edge new architecture that incorporates ground-breaking powertrain electrification breakthroughs and technology, offers an eco-friendly and sporty SUV package. Enough to handle the majority of everyday commutes and shopping demands, it combines performance and power with a remarkable combined fuel economy of 252mpg and an emissions-free driving range of up to 43 miles (WLTP). Electric energy usage on the open road is an outstanding 3.68 miles/kWh (169 Wh/km).
The Sportage Plug-in Hybrid was built from the ground up to provide outstanding performance that is both approachable and accessible. The newest SUV from Kia is equipped with a powerful 1.6-liter T-GDi engine that collaborates with a 66.9kW permanent magnet traction electric motor and a 13.8kWh lithium-ion polymer battery pack to accomplish this. The high-voltage battery is positioned in the middle of the SUV’s body, between the two axles, ensuring a balanced weight distribution and a functional, cozy, and adaptable interior.
The combined output of this powertrain system is 265PS and 350Nm of torque, with a 0-60 mph time of just 7.9 seconds and a top speed of 119 mph. A six-speed automatic transmission with smooth and rapid shifts guarantees that drivers can move forward quickly and easily in any situation.
The four-cylinder petrol engine in the Plug-in Hybrid has a number of functions to ensure maximum fuel economy under all driving circumstances. A new and improved combustion process, cooling technologies, and important friction reduction strategies, such as the use of a low-friction ball bearing and a sophisticated integrated thermal management system, are among them. On the weighted combined cycle, the new Sportage Plug-in Hybrid emits only 25g/km of CO2.
The combination of low CO2 and extended electric range results in a Benefit-in-Kind (BIK) tax rate of 7% for the current 2021/22 tax year, rising to 8% for the next three tax years to 2024/25. This is in addition to attracting 0 VED first-year tax after registration. Consequently, the new model has lower operating expenses than almost all of its competitors, despite having a high-end interior, excellent performance, and lots of standard equipment.
Kia’s most recent high-efficiency, high-performance hybrid starter generator (HSG) module and hybrid power control unit are also featured in the Sportage Plug-in Hybrid (HPCU). When combined, these improve performance, efficiency, and lower NVH levels while driving. The effective on-board charger (OBC) system is the fastest-charging Kia PHEV to date, with a 7.2kW rating. In about 1hr 45m, the battery may be fully charged.
Legroom, headroom, and luggage capacity are all very remarkable because to the attention to detail. 955mm of legroom and 998mm of headroom are provided for second-row passengers, and with the back seats in place, a generous 540 liters (VDA) of luggage storage is available. Users can choose to fold the back seats in a 40:20:40 split for maximum convenience, which creates 1,715 liters of cargo capacity.
The appearance of the Sportage Plug-in Hybrid is equally svelte and powerful as that of previous fifth-generation Sportage models. The Sportage Plug-in Hybrid, which has beautiful 19-inch alloy wheels, is offered in the “GT-Line,” “3,” “4”, and “GT-Line S” grades, with prices starting at 38,395 OTR.
Beginning in April 2022, the brand-new Sportage Plug-in Hybrid will be delivered to its first UK customers.