Kia EV6: range, battery & charging
Kia doesn't have an industry-leading range figure, but at least it’s accurate
| Model | Range | Wallbox charge time | Rapid charge time |
| RWD | 361 miles | 12hrs 30mins (0-100%, 7.4kW) | 18mins (10-80%, 350kW) |
| AWD | 339 miles | 12hrs 30mins (0-100%, 7.4kW) | 18mins (10-80%, 350kW) |
Like the majority of electric Kias we've tested, the EV6 manages to come close to its claimed numbers in the real world, never over or under-promising how many miles you can cover on its dashboard display.
Maximising your range around town means making the most of the regenerative braking, and the EV6 has one of the most effective systems of any electric car we've tried. The strongest 'i-pedal' setting is sufficient for genuine one-pedal driving, and you can activate this mode momentarily at any time just by holding one of the steering-column paddles.
Kia EV6 range
All brand-new EV6s are now fitted with an 88kWh battery pack, which is just one of a series of mid-life upgrades. This replaces the older 77.4kWh unit, and every model has received a range boost as a result.
The rear-wheel drive model tops out at 361 miles on the WLTP combined cycle when specced with the smallest 19-inch wheels, and these are available on either the Air or GT-Line models. The larger 20-inch wheels that come as standard on the GT-Line S take a slight toll on efficiency, decreasing the official range slightly to 347 miles.
Choosing the all-wheel-drive EV6 brings another slight decline on the official range, but this still stands at a very reasonable 339 miles on GT-Line models with 19-inch wheels. The AWD GT-Line S has a lower maximum range of 324 miles.
As with any electric car, the EV6 is susceptible to colder weather conditions. Kia does offer a heat pump to help towards solving this problem, but it’s only available as an option on the range-topping GT-Line S.
When we drove the four-wheel-drive GT-Line S (with added heat pump) in typical autumn weather at around 12 degrees celsius, we saw an average efficiency of 3.3 miles per kWh. This falls just below the official figure of 3.5 miles per kWh, but it’s still very reasonable. The rear-wheel-drive models are lighter, so these fare better for efficiency, with an official rating of 3.9 miles per kWh.
Charge time
Like the larger Kia EV9, the EV6 benefits from an 800-volt electrical architecture, which gives it a maximum charging speed of 350kW. This speed is among the very best currently on the market; find a sufficiently powerful ultra-rapid charging point and you can top up from 10 to 80% capacity in around 18 minutes.
