Kia Niro EV review: range, battery & charging
While the Niro EV’s 285-mile range is at the top of its class, it lags behind key rivals when it comes to rapid charging capabilities
| Range | Battery size | Wallbox charge time | Rapid charge time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 285 miles | 64.8kWh | 10hrs 30mins (0-100%, 7.4kW) | 45mins (10-80%, 72kW) |
Under the metal, the Niro EV isn’t radically different from the e-Niro that came before. The Niro EV doesn’t use the same electric-only underpinnings as Kia’s flagship EV6, as the compact family car is still offered with full-hybrid and plug-in hybrid power as well.
Kia Niro EV range
While the e-Niro was available with either a 39 or 64kWh battery by the end of production, the Niro EV is only being offered with a 64.8kWh battery that feeds a 201bhp electric motor. Range stands at 285 miles, which is slightly more than other compact electric family cars like the MG ZS EV Long Range (271 miles), Smart #1 (273 miles) and Renault Megane E-Tech (280 miles) can manage.
We still wish the Niro EV was able to crack the 300-mile barrier, but the car’s 285-mile range is a respectable figure nonetheless and it proved to be very efficient during our time with it. Across a mixture of motoring, country and town driving, and without any concessions to hypermiling, the Niro EV averaged 3.7 miles per kWh, which equates to a real-world range of 240 miles.
We even saw it return an impressive 4.2 miles per kWh after one trip, so if you keep the Niro EV out of sport mode and utilise the regenerative braking, you should cover close to 270 miles on a charge.
Charge time
The Niro EV’s maximum charging speed stands at 72kW, which is actually slightly slower than the old e-Niro’s 77kW. It’s still enough for a 10-80% top-up in around 45 minutes, but some way off the 100 or 150kW speeds that rivals like the Smart #1 and Renault Megane E-Tech can manage.
If you know you’re going to need some extra juice on a journey and programme the sat nav to take you to a charger, the car will pre-warm the battery as you approach to ensure the best possible charging speed. But if you’re just topping up the Niro EV at home, fully replenishing the 64.8kWh battery from a 7.4kW wallbox will take around ten-and-a-half hours.
