autonomy challenge – Kia EV6 Long Range

In this new autonomy challenge of CircutorElectroChallenge we drive the sensation of the year, we take a Kia EV6 Long Range, up to the limit of its autonomy, using, as always, our best Efficient and calm Driving skills.

Having the opportunity to do this autonomy challenge for the Car of the Year 2022 in the prestigious Car of the Year (COTY) contest and doing it on such an emblematic weekend as Sant Jordi is like driving the legendary Dragon to carry the Rose to our princess.

The Kia EV6 is one of those cars that makes people stop and look at its passage through the city, and the fact is that the Korean firm has made an effort to make a spectacular design.

With a sporty and at the same time futuristic line that leaves no one indifferent, this is the first model designed, from the beginning, as 100% electric and marks a before and after together with its cousin, the IONIQ 5 with which it shares a platform. 168 kW, 350 Nm of torque and rear-wheel drive give this ship the strength that everyone expects from its aesthetics.

These consumptions allow us to affirm that, unlike other electric cars, the Kia EV6, thanks to its high recovery, moves better on uneven roads than in dense city traffic where its inertia penalizes it a bit.

How many kilometers can we do on our route, taking into account that we will not be driving a city and that the car with a 100% full battery and the previous consumption history, indicates an estimated autonomy of 370 km, although we know that with a consumption content could give 100 more km?

It is a spring Sunday, and the sun is shining, nothing to do with the rains and hailstorms that hit us yesterday, at the book and rose stalls for the celebration of Sant Jordi, the date set to celebrate the start of the new cycle of life with loved ones.

We start the route, heading south, favorable terrain to Barcelona and the car begins to make it clear that it likes our driving, showing very interesting consumption values ​​that make us feel very calm with our objective.

So optimistic that, on the coast of El Garraf, to be able to overtake the groups of cyclists enjoying the sea views without risk or discomfort, we put on Sport mode, 228 CV that makes us fly when we go over 15 or 20 km /h of the rhythm of those who pedal at 60 or 70 km/h in a matter of 3 or 4 seconds.

But, we do not forget that we have come to do efficiency and not demonstrations of power. We arrive at the #Aiguadolç nautical port in Sitges, where we do the first control of the challenge, watching surf lovers and their dance with the waves. Confirmed, despite some sporting acceleration, we have a very good record. After 79 km of the route we maintain an 87% battery and our consumption is only 13.1 kWh/100 km.

The challenge continues along the coast road, with maximum speeds of a maximum of 80 km/h and sections of 50 km as we cross the towns of Cubelles, Cunit and Segur de Calafell, to heat the electrons that will propel us from El Vendrell to Valls where the terrain is no longer so kind and where our consumption will change quickly.

Two hours after taking the start, we have covered 129 km and we make a stop to add a bit of caffeine to the challenge. We have once again modulated consumption by planning between vineyards, at only 15.6 kWh/100 km, the battery still retains 77% of the initial energy, enough, according to the on-board computer, to complete almost 300 more km.

From Valls to Montblanc there are two alternatives, climb the Coll de Lilla, 593 m above sea level, or travel in a more comfortable and efficient way along the Francolí. Today we will follow the river.

Montblanc celebrates Sant Jordi, like no other municipality, it is the medieval week and the entrances to the town, with its walled enclosure, are collapsed, therefore, we go directly towards Passanant and Solivella with determination but restraint so as not to trigger our consumption.

No idle windmill, west wind that punishes us a bit, but what, in return, generates the electricity we consume without emitting greenhouse gases and that is that we owe a large part of the energy that has brought us here to these machines. 174 km traveled with an average consumption of 17.4 kWh. We retain a 62% battery that would allow us, at this level of consumption, to do 238 more km.

Can we keep up the pace and exceed the 400 km that we have set as our goal?
We will have to put our #Efficient and calm #Driving skills into practice enjoying wonderful landscapes in the middle of spring, where the yellow of the rapeseed fields contrasts with the luminous green of the growing cereal fields after the rains received.

Upon our arrival in Calaf, the nerve center of the L'Anoia region, and the highest elevation of this second half of our challenge with 680 m, the data shown by the vehicle confirm that we will be able to reach the objective of exceeding 400 km since We have covered 275 km with an average consumption of 16.6 kWh/100 km, having consumed 59% of the initial battery capacity and with an estimated range of 161 km. Surely we extend the range in the last section of our journey, which is very favorable.

The journey to Manresa, on the C-25, where descent predominates, allows us to improve both the overall average speed and the average consumption of the challenge. Once we leave the capital of Bages behind, we continue driving parallel to the Llobregat river, imitating the smoothness of the water course with our driving, which allows us to extend our autonomy and decide to extend our route a little more.

We close the circle, going down to the port of Barcelona, ​​traveling along the entire coastal ring road and returning to the Circutor headquarters, in Viladecavalls, going up the C-58 motorway, to eat and analyze the results.

Autonomy Challenge Results - Kia EV6 Long Range

We have achieved a consumption and autonomy very close to the homologation although we have circulated at a good pace through very diverse territories, which added to its incredible recharging capacity with a peak power of more than 225 kW. Allows you to make long trips with stops of no more than a quarter of an hour for refueling.

Conclution:

The Kia EV6 has more than demonstrated why it has been chosen Car of the Year by so many media and organizations. On this route we have been able to experiment from the power of the Sport mode to advance cyclists on the coasts of El Garraf, to the smoothness of navigation with a very low consumption in favorable terrain, through comfort and interior space, not to mention the equipment of driving aids that makes carrying these two tons of technology child's play.

Another quality of this Kia, as with the Ioniq 5, is the possibility of powering electrical loads of up to 2.3 kW in alternating current through the CCS2 fast-charge port itself present in our RAPTION 150C CCS2-CCS2. Ideal for preparing some toast and a good coffee when you wake up from camping in any wonderful place in our geography. Well thought!

Thanks:

Clarifications:

The Solidarity Tour is a 20 km route starting and finishing at the Circutor headquarters in Viladecavalls, which runs along very twisty secondary roads with slopes of up to 250 m.

The EcoBest tour is a 60 km mixed route that includes approximately 50% motorway, 25% city and the rest on interurban roads, very similar to the distribution of the WLTP cycle.

All our challenges are based on achieving maximum autonomy, in real traffic conditions, using efficient driving techniques and moderate speeds, always above the minimum marked on each road.