Kia provides a software update or software for the Kia EV6 which serves to make the battery charge faster in cold temperatures.
With an 800 volt platform and 240 kW DC fast charging capability, the Kia EV6 is one of the fastest EVs for charging on the market. It does have one major problem, and that is its inability to exceed 70 kW in cold temperatures, when the battery is not at a temperature deemed suitable for fast charging.
A software update resolves this issue and allows the vehicle to get closer to a claimed 10 to 80 percent charge time of 18 minutes.
This is essentially an upgrade to the battery pre-conditioning functionality that the vehicle already has, which already includes navigation data to know exactly when to start heating the pack (and also when to stop).
After the update, when the driver sets the fast charger as the navigation destination, the vehicle will automatically start heating the battery when the temperature drops below 21 degrees Celsius (69.8 degrees Fahrenheit) and the charge state is below 24 percent.
Battery heating will be disabled once the optimal temperature is reached and Kia says that this will see cold weather charge rates increase by up to 50 percent (the increase applies to the current estimated charge time at temperatures just above freezing 35 minutes).
Alexandre Papapetropoulos, Director of Product and Pricing at Kia Europe said he will continue to look for ways to improve EV performance from Kia. For one thing, with the new battery conditioning update, any existing EV6 customer can benefit from faster cold weather charging times – especially useful when temperatures drop. Simple and intuitive to use.
This new feature will ensure drivers can spend less time charging and more time enjoying the ride. This initiative underscores our commitment to maximizing the ownership experience for all customers.
This update will come on all new 2023 model year Kia EV6 and 2022 EV6 owners will be able to upgrade by visiting a Kia dealer.
