In case you’ve accomplished a lot charging of electrical vehicles, you’re in all probability already conversant in the time period “charging curve.” It’s not one thing you’ll see producers drop in press releases usually, however it’s undoubtedly going to be impactful to your fast-charging expertise at public charging stations.
Battery packs in vehicles (and lithium-ion battery packs in every single place) can’t cost on the similar pace 100% of the time, largely because of warmth constraints. In layman’s phrases, the nearer to capability you get, the warmer the battery pack turns into, and the slower you’re going to cost in consequence. That signifies that despite the fact that your EV is likely to be rated for a most cost price of 235 kW, it gained’t cost at 235 kW from 0-100% the entire time. If circumstances (and the charger) enable it, you’ll hopefully see the automotive cost at or close to the utmost price for a superb bit earlier than it slows down because the battery good points an increasing number of cost. In case you watch for it to trickle as much as 100%, the cost price may have dropped off to a dribble by the point you get there.
After all, essentially the most supreme state of affairs that might produce the shortest cost instances is for a automotive to have a cost curve that stays excessive for so long as attainable, minimizing the period of time you spend charging at a decrease pace. This results in much less general time spent ready round at a charger, which is all the time a plus in our ebook.
We’ve had our 2022 Kia EV6 GT-Line AWD long-term take a look at automotive for a superb variety of months now and accomplished lots of fast-charging periods with it the place the automotive prices at its peak pace. So we’ve skilled the EV6’s cost curve time and time once more, permitting us to get a good suggestion of what the EV6 can do.
Kia claims the EV6’s peak cost pace is 235 kW, which when you take a gander by way of our record of fastest-charging electrical vehicles, is definitely fairly good. Fortunately, the cost curve has proved to be fairly good, too. Our EV6 shortly shoots as much as its most charging pace quickly after plugging in, and has steadily displayed cost speeds within the cluster’s readout which might be even greater than the quoted 235 kW most.
From zero to roughly 55%, the EV6 hovers across the 220-230 kW cost pace vary — that’s actually good! When you get past 60%, the speed drops to roughly 190 kW. Transfer past 70%, and the regular slowdown is in full impact. By the point you’ve hit 80% — the standard level at which EVs hit a wall in cost pace as of late — the pace has moved below 150 kW, and it retains happening from right here.
Earlier than you scoff at that 150 kW cost pace from 70-80%, enable us to remind you that a number of EVs have cost speeds that max out proper round 150 kW, they usually’re topic to their very own distinctive charging curves. To call a number of opponents, the Ford Mustang Mach-E and Volkswagen ID.4 each have max charging speeds at or below 150 kW.
In terms of a cost curve that produces fast fast-charging stops on highway journeys or fast top-ups alike, the EV6 is an superior companion. Going from 10-80% on a charger that’s working because it ought to (that’s no assure) solely takes about 15-20 minutes. In case you watch for that ultimate 20% to rise up to a full cost, it’s going to be one other 15-20 minutes of ready, however that’s very regular for EVs.
Once you examine it to different fashionable EVs — as is completed on this ArenaEV charging take a look at — the EV6 stays wanting like a champion. The lesson discovered by way of expertise and knowledge right here is that the EV6 has a superb and really user-friendly charging curve, so fast-charge away!
Associated video:
