Kia Corporation, the South Korean automotive manufacturer is fast developing a portfolio of lower-emission ‘eco’ vehicles, to include, zero-tailpipe emission battery-electric vehicles (BEVs), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) and mild hybrids. The Korean automotive company is headquartered in Seoul, and it is South Korea’s second largest automotive manufacturer after the Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai owns a 33.88% stake in Kia Corporation). At one point, the US automotive manufacturer, Ford Motor Company, also owned a stake in Kia.
Kia was found in June 1944, and was formerly known as Kyungsung Precision Industry. It has also been previously known as Kia Motors Corporation. The Kia name has been derived from the Sino-Korean characters, ‘ki’ (arise) & ‘a’ (Asia) to suggest ‘Rising from Asia’. The Kia Corporation has been active in the European markets since 1991. The Kia electric vehicle (EV) portfolio includes both, battery-electric vehicle (BEV) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) models:
For those of you new to zero-emission electric driving, we recommend a read of the following articles:
Overview Kia Corporation, the South Korean automotive manufacturer is fast developing a portfolio of lower-emission ‘eco’ vehicles, to include, zero-tailpipe emission battery-electric vehicles (BEVs), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) and mild hybrids….
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The pure electric compact crossover from Kia was introduced in March 2021. It is the first EV from Kia built on a dedicated EV platform, the E-GMP (Electric Global Modular Platform), also used by the Hyundai IONIQ5 EV. The Kia EV6 pure electric family car has much to offer, apart from its head-turning exterior sporty coupé styling. However, if that is not enough and you need higher performance, then the sportier EV6 GT will not disappoint!
The Kia EV6 GT is available in one EV battery size (77.4 kWh) with a claimed zero-emission electric range up to 263 miles (WLTP). Though the EV range for the GT is impacted by the higher performance compared to the standard EV6 variant, an electric range over 200 miles is certainly more than adequate for most driving needs! Of course, we need to adjust for the real-world driving conditions. For the AWD EV6 GT expect a zero-emission electric range closer to 225 miles.
The EV6 GT also offers class-leading DC charging capability. The electric compact SUV can be DC charged up to a whopping 350 kW. Put another way, the battery can be charged up to 80% in 18 minutes. Just enough time for a short coffee break.
It is true, in that, the ultra-rapid charging infrastructure in the UK is still at early stages, but expect this infrastructure to develop fast. Having said that, the EV6 GT can be charged up to 80% in 73 minutes using a 50 kW DC charger, which are fast becoming widespread across public EV charging stations in the UK.
The Kia EV6 GT offers a 11 kW (3-phase) onboard charger as standard. For those with access to 3-phase AC charging at home or workplace, the electric vehicle (EV) can be fully charged in 7 hours and 20 minutes. However, as most homes in the UK are powered by single-phase power supply, charging at home will take longer. Expect the EV6 to be fully charged via a dedicated residential EV charger in 12 hours and 30 minutes.
Yes, the EV6 GT can be charged via a 3-PIN domestic socket. However, we at e-zoomed discourage using a domestic socket for charging an electric car. For the EV6 electric SUV, it will take up to 32 hours and 45 minutes to fully charge using a household plug! We also recommend a topping up approach to EV charging. This way charging times are shorter!
There is no doubt, in that, the EV6 GT is a good looking electric car. But, it does not stop there. The interior is equally impressive and offers a high level of technology and features.
Some of these include: 12.3″ curved driver display screen, 12.3″ curved touchscreen navigation, augmented reality head-up display, remote smart park assist (RSPA), 360° around view monitor, blind-spot view monitor, blind-spot collision avoidance assist, highway driving assist 2, forward collision avoidance and more. ]The EV also offers Vehicle-to-Device (V2D) charging compatibility (3.6 kW) to charge appliance while on the move.
Despite the sporty coupé roofline, the EV6 has ample room for passengers seated in the rear seats given the placement of the EV battery below the floor. The EV also offers a decent boot capacity (480 L).
In terms of performance, the all-wheel drive (AWD) EV6 GT does not disappoint, despite the additional weight of the onboard EV battery (479 kg). The Kia EV6 GT AWD can achieve 0-62 mph in 3.5 seconds (max power: 577 bhp/ 740 Nm torque). The top speed of the EV is 162 mph. The GT drive mode is on the steering wheel.
Company-car drivers can take advantage of the lower Benefit-in-Kind (BiK-2%) tax rate for pure electric cars. Bottom-line, electric driving is good for the environment and the wallet. You can lease electric vehicles (EVs) via e-zoomed at very competitive prices!
The All-Electric Kia EV6 GT SUV (credit: Kia)
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