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.
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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.
Charging time for a Kia EV6
The expected time needed to charge your EV6 from empty to full is shown in the table below. Since charging tends to slow down outside of this range to protect the battery, we only provide the time to charge for rapid charging from 20 to 80 percent.
Connector type and charging rates
You can use a Type 2 connector to charge your Kia EV6 at a public charging station, your place of employment, or both. Additionally, a CCS port is present for quick charging.
Where you can charge a Kia EV6
You can conveniently charge your Kia EV6 at home, plug it in when you get to work, or top it off while you’re out and about at places like supermarkets and public parking lots (usually for free!).
Is a home charger included with the Kia EV6?
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.
Everything Kia EV6 Drivers Need to Know About Charging an Electric Vehicle
The Kia EV6 is a small, all-electric crossover SUV with a competitive starting price. After the Kia EV6’s debut, it has won praise from the electric vehicle community. It’s comparable to other crossovers such the Hyundai Ioniq 5, its cousin the Ford Mustang Mach-E, and the Volkswagen I.D. The Tesla Model Y is comparable but more expensive.
The EV6 Light, which has a basic price of $40,900, has a 58 kWh battery and rear-wheel drive. The Wind ($47,000) and Kia EV6 GT-Line variants, which are more expensive, have a longer-range 77.4 kWh battery and can be had with either rear- or all-wheel drive. A fully equipped vehicle with 320 horsepower, a bigger battery, and all-wheel drive is the First Edition ($58,500). The First Edition model’s 1,500 units have all been reserved. Ultra-wide sunroof and vegan seats are among the features.
Although it will have excellent off-the-line performance and come in high-speed versions, the EV6 is not primarily a performance vehicle. Later on, Kia will release a quick EV6 GT with a 3.5-second zero-to-60 mph time. 7.2 seconds for the Wind and 8 seconds for the standard model are in contrast to that. Both The Light and Wind are rated at 117 MPGe and have top speeds of 115 mph. The Wind grade and higher have a towing capacity that can go up to 2,000 pounds, while the basic model is not capable of towing.
The big, floating center console that houses controls for amenities like heated seats takes up much of the EV6’s interior space. a pair of 12.3-inch touchscreens with touch functionality for regular use. The standard “Drivewise safety suite,” which includes a surround-view monitor, highway driving assistance, front and rear blind-spot collision avoidance, and a head-up display, is another benefit of the EV6. Even remote smart parking assistance is available.
Kia EV6 Charging & Range
According to the EPA, the Kia EV6’s range is impressive with its 58-kWh battery. On a single charge, the 816-pound battery can carry it 232 kilometers. The EPA estimates a range of up to 310 miles with the 77.4-kWh battery (weighing 1,052 pounds) in the Wind and higher models.
The 11-kilowatt onboard chargers in the Light and Wind variants can charge a car from 10 to 100 percent in around seven hours. The EV6 also includes 1,000 hours of free charging at Electrify America outlets.
Owners of EV6s need install a 48-amp home EV charger like the JuiceBox 48, which has a universal J1772 connection and is compatible with all current electric vehicles, in order to fully benefit from fast home charging.
The majority of Kia EV6 owners will not completely drain their battery in a day of driving and may charge only an hour or two each day because the average commuting distance in the U.S. is only 26.4 miles.
Through its vehicle-to-load charging adapter, which can run 110-volt appliances, the EV6 allows bidirectional charging. Owners can run a refrigerator for more than 300 hours, for example. If utilized for tailgating, a discharge limit can be set to ensure that the vehicle has enough power to drive home.
A limited time offer is also available to some Kia EV owners. A technician will be sent by Kia’s Currently app to the owner’s house to connect the vehicle to a 50-mile charge. It’s a pilot program that’s only right now accessible in a few places in California. Owners are not required to be there. Beta testers will receive two months of service at no cost after which they can purchase two monthly delivery for $25.
Level 3 DC fast charging for Kia EV6
The SAE Combined Charging Connector allows for 180 kilowatts of DC rapid charging for the base model EV6 (CCS). On the Wind and above trims, that is boosted to 240 kW. Sadly, the charging port is located above the back bumper, which is less practical than outlets close to the front of the car.
The EV6 is capable of 400- and 800-volt DC fast charging, and 210 miles of additional range can be added in just 18 minutes using a 350-kWh charger at 800 volts (going from 10- to 80-percent state of charge). The availability of these ultra-fast chargers is still limited. However, EV6 drivers can add 62 miles in 4.5 minutes when one is located. The Porsche Taycan is the only other car that is now capable of that rate.
The Taycan aside, Kia claimed last year that its EV6 had the fastest recharging in the business. The automobile was plugged in for seven hours, ten minutes, and one second on a 2,880-mile cross-country trip from New York to Los Angelesa record that surpasses a Tesla supercharger.
Can a Tesla charger be used on a Kia?
The Supercharger network that powers all of Tesla’s electric vehicles, not its selection of electric automobiles, is the company’s most valuable asset. However, the experience is far from ideal even if other companies can now charge their EVs at Tesla superchargers. Bjorn Nyland, a well-known YouTuber, demonstrated what happens when a Kia EV6 is hooked into a Tesla supercharger.
Tesla superchargers are widely available and provide quick charging along with a seamless driving experience that is unmatched in the EV industry. The only thing you need to do if you drive a Tesla is park the car and plug it in. Like magic, the charger connects with the vehicle, and the invoicing is handled immediately.
For all other EV brands, however, who rely on external charging networks, the entire process is a disaster. You must set up an account and a billing option, install an app (or several), and many times customers have claimed that the charger is difficult to persuade to charge the vehicle. It makes sense that every EV automaker in the world aspires to have a charging system similar to the Tesla Supercharger. They are fortunate because Tesla just declared it will allow other brands to use its network.
The decision benefits both parties, since EV owners now have access to the best charging infrastructure in the world and Tesla now has access to their cash. They only need to download the Tesla app to their phones and follow the same steps they would for any other charging network they have access to. Therefore, it falls short of the hassle-free experience that Tesla owners enjoy, but at least it provides a second way to charge an EV.
Of course, as non-Tesla users of the network start to realize, there’s more to it than just getting access to the supercharger. To begin with, there are situations where the car will not bargain with the charger. Additionally, even when everything seems to be going well, it might not. Even while the charging process begins as predicted, YouTuber Bjorn Nyland observed that the Kia EV6 and Tesla Supercharger don’t always get along.
The EV6 has a problem with improper plug locking; as a result, anyone can unplug the plug while the owner is gone from the vehicle. Even though it might only be a glitch that gets fixed in a subsequent version, this is still a concern. We don’t know if this is an issue that only the Kia EV6 is experiencing or if it affects all non-Tesla EVs. Due to how simple it is to unhook a non-Tesla from a supercharger by simply pressing the button on the plug, failure to lock the charging plug might result in severe disagreements between drivers.