Our long-term Kia EV6 take a look at automotive has a wonderful charging curve

Should you’ve completed a lot charging of electrical automobiles, you’re in all probability already aware of the time period “charging curve.” It’s not one thing you’ll see producers drop in press releases typically, but it surely’s undoubtedly going to be impactful to your fast-charging expertise at public charging stations. 

Battery packs in automobiles (and lithium-ion battery packs in all places) can’t cost on the identical pace 100% of the time, largely as a result of warmth constraints. In layman’s phrases, the nearer to capability you get, the warmer the battery pack turns into, and the slower you’re going to cost because of this. That signifies that regardless that your EV may be rated for a most cost fee of 235 kW, it gained’t cost at 235 kW from 0-100% the entire time. If situations (and the charger) enable it, you’ll hopefully see the automotive cost at or close to the utmost fee for an excellent bit earlier than it slows down because the battery positive factors an increasing number of cost. Should you anticipate it to trickle as much as 100%, the cost fee can have dropped off to a dribble by the point you get there.

After all, essentially the most superb scenario that might produce the shortest cost instances is for a automotive to have a cost curve that stays excessive for so long as attainable, minimizing the period of time you spend charging at a decrease pace. This results in much less general time spent ready round at a charger, which is at all times a plus in our e-book.

We’ve had our 2022 Kia EV6 GT-Line AWD long-term take a look at automotive for an excellent variety of months now and completed plenty of fast-charging classes with it the place the automotive fees at its peak pace. So we’ve skilled the EV6’s cost curve time and time once more, permitting us to get a good suggestion of what the EV6 can do.

Kia claims the EV6’s peak cost pace is 235 kW, which if you happen to take a gander by our record of fastest-charging electrical automobiles, is definitely fairly good. Fortunately, the cost curve has proved to be fairly good, too. Our EV6 rapidly shoots as much as its most charging pace quickly after plugging in, and has regularly displayed cost speeds within the cluster’s readout which are even increased than the quoted 235 kW most. 

From zero to roughly 55%, the EV6 hovers across the 220-230 kW cost pace vary — that’s actually good! When you get past 60%, the speed drops to roughly 190 kW. Transfer past 70%, and the regular slowdown is in full impact. By the point you’ve hit 80% — the everyday level at which EVs hit a wall in cost pace nowadays — the pace has moved beneath 150 kW, and it retains taking place from right here.

Earlier than you scoff at that 150 kW cost pace from 70-80%, enable us to remind you that a number of EVs have cost speeds that max out proper round 150 kW, and so they’re topic to their very own distinctive charging curves. To call just a few rivals, the Ford Mustang Mach-E and Volkswagen ID.4 each have max charging speeds at or beneath 150 kW.

With regards to a cost curve that produces fast fast-charging stops on highway journeys or fast top-ups alike, the EV6 is an superior companion. Going from 10-80% on a charger that’s working because it ought to (that’s no assure) solely takes about 15-20 minutes. Should you anticipate that closing 20% to rise up to a full cost, it’s going to be one other 15-20 minutes of ready, however that’s very regular for EVs.

Once you evaluate it to different trendy EVs — as is finished on this ArenaEV charging take a look at — the EV6 stays trying like a champion. The lesson realized by expertise and information right here is that the EV6 has a wonderful and really user-friendly charging curve, so fast-charge away!

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