When I bought my Kia EV6, I wasn’t planning on going electric. I’d rented a Tesla Model 3, and the experience was terrible. But my old BMW X1 – with its needy maintenance schedule and its thirsty inline-6-cylinder engine – was draining my wallet. I had my eye on a Mazda CX-50, but I jumped at a great deal on a used EV instead. Though I’ve been delighted since I drove it home, there are things I wish I’d known.
Are you considering an electric? Whether or not you can charge at home, here are the most important things I wish I’d known before buying.
Know your charging levels
I live in an apartment with a parking space but no electrical outlet. That means I can’t install a high-voltage outlet for what EV owners call ‘Level 2’ charging.
Level 1 is a standard 3-prong household outlet. My car came with an adapter for this, but it takes days to charge completely.
Level 2 is faster and requires a dedicated charger (like a dryer outlet). Most cars – including my 2022 Kia EV6 – use the so-called J1772 port, though the industry is shifting to Tesla’s NACS standard. The latest Kia EV6 uses NACS, so it works at every Tesla charging station and other compatible chargers. My car can charge in less than 8 hours using a Level 2 charger.
Level 3 uses DC power for fast charging. These are the chargers you see at rest stops; they look like a bigger Level 2 charger, and they pump power directly into the battery much faster. With Level 3 charging, my Kia EV6 can charge from 1% to 80% in about 20 minutes, and that gets me 200 miles of range. It takes another 20 minutes to reach 100% charge.
Public charging isn’t free (usually)
A lot of folks think EV charging is free. It’s not. The chargers at rest stops or shopping centers are likely owned by networks like Electrify America or Tesla. You pay varying rates for charging, just like a gas station.
Rates vary by charging network, charging speed, and even time of day. You are charged by the kilowatt-hour (kWh).
My car has a 77.4 kWh battery. If I pay $0.50/kWh, I’d pay $38.70 to drive around 300 miles. I figure that’s roughly equal to paying $4/gallon for gas in my BMW. That’s not terrible, but it’s not exactly a savings.
Charging at home is where the savings are: the average US home’s electricity rate is around $0.13/kWh. Sadly, I don’t have that option. However, I found a free charger at my local commuter rail station. It’s a rarity, but I haven’t paid for my local driving yet, since I might charge for free when I park at the train station.
Prepare for app overload
The charging infrastructure is fragmented. What started with Tesla has expanded into myriad companies like Shell, ChargePoint, and Electrify America.
Tap-to-pay chargers are less common than you’d expect. Usually, you must download the specific network’s app to start a charging session. That means dealing with network issues, bugs, account setups, and subscription fees.
The first app you need is PlugShare. It’s like Yelp for electric vehicle charging. Users report which stations are actually working, how much they cost, and how fast they charge, saving you from driving to a bad plug.
The ‘80% Rule’ saves time
EV batteries charge very quickly to 80%, then slow down drastically to protect the battery’s longevity.
This means on road trips, you should rarely charge to 100%. My Kia hits 80% in 20 minutes. Getting to 100% takes another 20. It is much faster to drive 200 miles, charge for 20 minutes, and get back on the road than to wait for that final 20%. I only charge to 100% when I can leave the car overnight; otherwise, 80% is enough to get me to the next fast charger.
Trust the range (mostly)
If my car says I have 250 miles of range, I trust it – provided I’m driving normally. Unlike gas cars, which are more efficient on highways, EVs are incredibly efficient in stop-and-go traffic because regenerative braking captures energy when you slow down.
However, factors like high speeds (70+ MPH) and blasting the A/C will eat into that number. While I used to push my gas cars past ‘Empty,’ I haven’t risked it with the EV yet.
Cold weather causes problems
My car performed optimally throughout the summer, delivering 300 miles of range. In the winter, things turned frigid. Batteries hate the cold. Suddenly, my battery only promised 250 miles or less. If you live in a cold climate, expect your range to drop in winter.
Don’t look for a spare in the… frunk?
With a massive battery underneath, my EV flips expectations. I have a “frunk” (front trunk) for storage, but I do not have a spare tire.
Every EV I’ve seen skips the spare to save weight and space for motors and batteries. If I get a flat, I have to call for a tow. As someone who knows how to change a tire, this makes me wary, but it’s the new normal.
There are actually two batteries in an EV
When I bought my Kia EV6, I threw away my jumper cables – big mistake! Like combustion engine cars, my EV6 has a 12V battery up front in addition to the big high-voltage battery that powers the motor. The smaller 12V battery powers the electronics, including vital systems such as the starter and the charging system.
That means if my 12V battery dies, I can’t start my car. I can’t even charge my car. This isn’t usually a problem, but I wish I’d known about it beforehand. Also, checking my car’s features remotely using the Kia app drains that battery. It also has trouble in very cold weather, like most 12V car batteries. I’ve already needed a jump start – a chore I swore I’d left behind when I went electric.
The speed is real (and it eats tires)
My Kia EV6 isn’t the fastest GT trim, but in Sport mode, the acceleration throws me into my seat. Electric motors provide instant torque, making them feel faster than gas cars off the line. Even my Dad, who owned little BMW and MGB roadsters in his day, was suitably impressed by the pickup.
The upside is low maintenance – no oil changes, ever. The downside? That instant torque shreds tires. Because EVs are heavy and accelerate fast, you will go through tires faster than you expect. Rotate them religiously.
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philip.berne@futurenet.com (Philip Berne)
