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).
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Alexandre Papapetropoulos, Director Product and Pricing at Kia Europe notes that
We are constantly looking at ways of improving our products, and with the new battery conditioning upgrade any existing EV6 customer can benefit from even faster cool-weather charging times – particularly useful as temperatures drop. Simple and intuitive to use, this new feature will ensure drivers can spend less time charging and more time enjoying the journey. This initiative underscores our commitment to maximize the ownership experience for all customers.
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.
