Kia Niro EV

[vreihen]

In case anyone is researching a new vehicle purchase, my DW just took delivery last night of the first Kia Niro EV sold by our local dealership. I am having a mental block thinking that a Kia is worth Tesla Model 3 money, but it seems to be built solid and has most of the same features as the newer i3's (including programmed departure time, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto). Don't know if it will let you program multiple departure times yet.

Anyway, feel free to ask any questions if you are considering the Niro as an additional EV in your stable.....

 

[vreihen]

After a week of ownership, I can't pry the Niro key fob out of my DW's hands. If my new OpenEVSE's measurements are accurate, it is costing her $3.84/day in electricity compared with a claimed $20.00 in gasoline with her old vehicle.

The one thing that has me slightly worried is Kia's apparent lack of battery management at the end of a charging cycle:

The light blue line is my i3. Notice how it tapers down the draw as it approaches full? (Also note the shape of the spike around 7:30 AM at my programmed departure time.) The other two lines are the Niro, and it seems like it just cuts the power with no taper at all. I have no idea how this will impact battery longevity, but suspect that BMW tapered the draw down for a reason and Kia may have missed the rationale.

FWIW, I have the OpenEVSE limited to 16A right now, until I can pull a proper 50A circuit out to the garage in place of the 20A welder outlet that I'm using for charging now.....

 

[n1o2c3a4c5h6e7t]

The Niro seems awesome. I can't wait until it's cheap enough on the used market to buy (I don't buy new cars; call me a sucker for appreciating assets). Thanks for these updates.

But what is a DW? I assume your spouse, but I don't understand the abbreviation.

 

[vreihen]

DW is a common abbreviation for either darling wife, or darn wife on occasion.....

 

[bwilson4web]

. . .

The one thing that has me slightly worried is Kia's apparent lack of battery management at the end of a charging cycle:

. . . The other two lines are the Niro, and it seems like it just cuts the power with no taper at all. . . .

I've seen speculation that an over-sized battery could be managed that way. It might also be worth while to look at battery temperatures.

Our Model 3 and BMW i3 both exhibit a charge taper but they also turn on the AC to moderate the battery temperature.

BTW, the limited availability means it won't be in the SouthEast anytime soon.

Bob Wilson

 

[eNate]

I blame the Niro for getting me into an i3!

I'm getting rid of my Audi allroad wagon, and had been waiting for a wagon-like EV. I also have a Ford Flex that we don't put many miles on. The Flex could be categorized as a large wagon.

I test-drove the Niro and was really, really impressed. However, in addition to the new car price, there were a handful of things that slowed my roll:

- I really hated the torque steer of the front wheel drive coupled with such a torquey motor. This car needs awd!

- It's crazy hard to find the LED headlights and impossible to get the heat pump in my region. Re: the headlights, the halogens get a poor score from IIHS. And why wouldn't I want as heat pump?

- I wss ok without memory seats, but would have missed the auto-dipping side view mirror when reversing. Same with rain-sensing windshield wipers and dimming side-view mirrors. I would have ordered a liftgate motor kit from Ali Express.

I'm not suggesting my 2017 CPO i3 BEV is perfect. The i3 really put me in a bind with roof racks (SeaSucker!). Obviously much smaller than my wagon. No radar. No blind spot detection. Also a manual liftgate No 5th seat. No choice of tires. Shorter warranty. And my kids would definitely prefer to have their doors back!

Given this, I can't explain why the i3 gives me the warm 'n fuzzies while the Niro makes me feel Meh. Obviously the used vs. new price was a factor in my purchase decision, but I'm not so sure this would have ended differently if they were sitting side by side, equally priced.

Well, that Niro warranty would be a factor...