Kia EV6 - Range, charging and running costs
Family buyers who are looking for lower running costs will be impressed by the EV6’s range and overall efficiency
Both the rear- and all-wheel-drive versions of the Kia EV6 are powered by batteries with a 77.4kWh capacity. RWD single-motor versions offer the longest range in the EV6 lineup – up to 328 miles from a single charge – though AWD dual-motor models aren’t far behind, with a maximum range of 314 miles. The trim level and size of alloy wheels can affect the driving range.
The 577bhp EV6 GT is powered by the same 77.4kWh battery, but it offers a maximum range of 263 miles – nearly 50 miles less than the regular AWD EV6.
When we tested the EV6 Air, which is available exclusively in rear-drive form, we drove it across a mixture of urban roads and motorways, yet didn’t see the efficiency figure drop when cruising at high speeds. In the end, we managed to consume a steady average of 3.9 miles per kWh, which equates to a real-world range of 302 miles.
As with many EVs, colder weather can affect the EV6’s battery range. When testing the EV6 Horizon, the chilly February weather resulted in a real-world efficiency figure of 3.4mi/kWh, which equates to around 260 miles of total range. Buyers can add a heat pump to the EV6 to help reduce the effects of winter, but this is only available on the pricier GT-Line and GT-Line S models.
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The EV6’s official range is on par with rivals like the Volkswagen ID.4, Skoda Enyaq, Tesla Model Y and Nissan Ariya, but the trick up its sharply tailored sleeves is its class-leading ultra-fast charging capability. Like its Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Genesis GV60 siblings, the EV6 uses an 800V charging system, so if you can plug into a 350kW ultra-rapid charger, a 10 to 80 per cent top-up takes just 18 minutes. Fully replenishing the 77.4kWh battery in the EV6 takes roughly 12 hours from a 7.4kW home wallbox.
Until 2025, all electric cars, regardless of list price, are exempt from road tax (VED) in the UK and the London Congestion Charge, which could save EV6 drivers a considerable sum. Company-car drivers will also enjoy the 2 per cent Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) rate (until 2025) that the EV6 currently attracts.
Insurance
Rear-wheel-drive EV6 models sit in insurance groups 34 and 35, depending on the chosen trim, AWD versions land in group 40, and the ballistically quick EV6 GT is in group 45.
Insurance premiums for electric cars are often more expensive than for their petrol or diesel-powered alternatives, and that applies to the EV6. For example, while the most basic EV6 Air sits in insurance group 34, a top-of-the-range Kia Sportage PHEV that costs about the same lands itself in group 26.
The higher premium may not sway your intention to go for a battery-powered family car, but the lower running and taxation costs could help to rebalance the books.
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Depreciation
All variants of the EV6 are predicted to hold on to around 50-53 per cent of their list price over a typical three-year/36,000-mile ownership period. This puts the EV6 ahead of its sister car, the Hyundai Ioniq 5, which is expected to retain 42-45 per cent of its original values over the same three-year period. Some variants of the Skoda Enyaq perform better than the Kia, though, as the line-up is predicted to retain between 49-58 per cent.
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