Kia EV6

GRA said:

DaveinOlyWA said:

GRA said:

I would love to see all GoMs use a very conservative calc to protect the driver from getting stranded, so that everyone knows they can do at least that. Unfortunately, commercial pressure (to show more range) may prevent that, which is why I'd like to see it mandated in the same way that speedometers are allowed to read high but not low. I kind of like the Bolt's approach, showing max./avg./min. DTE, and leaving it up to the driver to decide which best reflects their usage/willingness to accept risk. Personally I'm not going to rely on any car's calcs, but will base my own decisions on range and where I need to charge on battery SoC (assuming I've developed trust in the accuracy of that reading) and my own experience in that car in similar conditions, plus a reserve inversely-sized to the density and reliability of the charging infrastructure, plus the likely variability of the weather. Sounds like you do much the same.

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Well, I have the advantage of LEAF Spy so my task is quite easy. Several times, I have passed stations with ZERO SOC on the dash for a better station down the road that had preferred amenities; something people think I am crazy for doing. Personally I think people who stop at 10% SOC at a place they don't like is craziness but it is how many people roll. They are risk adverse while I am simply unaware risk exists.

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I suspect it depends on the level of risk. Run out of charge in an area with lots of chargers and no problem getting in touch, and you're just facing a short tow. OTOH, taking a chance on being stranded at a trailhead 25 miles off-pavement where you're unlikely to see anyone else for day(s), where there's no cell-service and where you may have trouble finding a tow truck even willing to come out where you are, or charge an arm and a leg if they will, and your awareness of the risk is likely to be more acute!

There's a reason I do such trips (in an ICE) with a full-size spare, jack and jack base (to spread the weight on soft ground) and tire iron, plus jumper cables, tools etc. A BEV now means I've got two more factors (less range, especially in bad weather) potential failure (inadequate and unreliable charging infrastructure) to add to my risk awareness. Besides, I'm an old boy scout, so leaving it to luck isn't an option

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We took our long-term 2022 Kia EV6 on a 1,400-mile road trip

It went well! But our country's charging infrastructure was still problematic

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2023 Kia EV6 starts $7,100 higher, drops base-battery version

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. . . That increase is mostly due to Kia dropping the base Light trim level, which started at $42,695 with the mandatory $1,295 destination charge, and was the only U.S. EV6 model to offer the smaller 58-kwh battery pack. All other versions use the 77.4-kwh pack. [GRA note: The Ioniq 5 still offers the base battery]

The cheapest 2023 Kia EV6 trim level is the single-motor rear-wheel drive Wind, which starts at $49,795 with destination charge. The destination charge hasn't changed for 2023, but Kia did raise the base MSRP for the EV6 Wind by $1,000. Adding dual-motor all-wheel drive bumps the price to $53,695.

And the difference is greater than that, as earlier this year the EV6 qualified for the $7,500 EV tax credit. New rules enacted under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) mean the tax credit is unlikely to return for the foreseeable future.

Dropping the base trim level and smaller battery pack does create more space between the EV6 and the 2023 Kia Niro EV, though. Because it initially looked like the Niro EV would beat the base EV6 on range. In single-motor form, with the smaller battery, the EV6 was rated at 232 EPA miles, while the Niro EV, which was redesigned for 2023, has an EPA-rated 253 miles of range. The Niro EV also undercuts the discontinued base EV6 with a $40,745 base price.

The rest of the 2023 EV6 lineup includes the GT-Line in single-motor and dual-motor guises starting at $53,995 and $58,695, respectively, and the dual-motor-only EV6 GT, starting at $62,695. Both the EV6 and closely related Hyundai Ioniq 5 top 300 miles of EPA range in their rear-wheel-drive forms, with the larger 77.4-kwh battery pack.

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Kia EV6 Software Update Improves Cold Weather Charging Speed

The manufacturer says owners should see improvements of up to 50 percent when DC fast charging in winter.

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With its 800-volt platform and 240 kW DC fast charging capability, the Kia EV6 is one of the quickest EVs to charge on the market. It did have one major issue, though, and that was its inability to exceed 70 kW in cold temperatures, when the battery pack is not at a temperature deemed suitable for rapid charging.

Now Kia says it has released a software update that resolves this issue and allows the vehicle to get much closer to its claimed 10 to 80 percent charging time of 18 minutes. It’s basically an upgrade to the battery pre-conditioning function that the vehicle already had, which already included navigation data to know exactly when to start warming up the pack (and also when to stop).

After the update, when the driver sets a fast charger as a destination in the navigation, the vehicle will automatically begin to preheat the battery when it drops below 21 degrees Celsius (69.8 degrees Fahrenheit)and the state of charge is under 24 percent. Battery heating will be deactivated once optimum temperature is reached and Kia says that this will see cold weather charging rates increase by up to 50 percent (the improvement applies to the currently estimated charging time at temperatures just above freezing of 35 minutes). . . .

This update will come on all new 2023 model-year Kia EV6s and owners of the 2022 EV6 will be able to upgrade by visiting a Kia dealership.

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