Two things: Either I’m in a group of car nuts, or I’m the car nut in the group. For the former, we pretty much can match each other’s personalities with preferences, even down to rim choices, and motorsport discipline. For the latter, while I can answer some of their questions regarding fixing, modifying, driving, or even cleaning cars, I’m also not afraid to tell them if I don’t know the answer to their questions. Being known as a car nut to non-car people can be a double-edged sword as they seem to think that anything automotive, I’ll be in on. And there’s one question that comes up pretty often as of late that I don’t seem to have a concrete and credible answer to.
With all the advancement and progress the automotive industry has been showcasing in the more recent times towards electrification, it’s warranted for them to assume that I am always curious what these new technologies offer. After all, they’re still about cars. And I like cars, right?
Professional answer: Yes, I am curious because I have to digest and try out new tech as an “automotive journalist” in order for me to be able to share my firsthand experiences, and maybe quell misunderstandings about certain concepts based on facts and figures as supplied by the manufacturers. Straight from the horse’s mouth, as they say.
Personal answer: No, not really. I am perfectly fine working with (or on) something familiar because I’ve always believed not to mess with anything that isn’t fundamentally broken. It’s been almost 2 exciting decades of ICE vehicles for me, do I really need to switch things up? I’m glad there’s the option of electrification, but it’s something I’d rather not stick my nose into if I really don’t have to. And I’d always, always, ALWAYS choose soulful over robotic.
The million-dollar question? “So, how are EVs?”
What you’re about to read is a visual diary of my (almost) week-long affair with the Kia EV6 GT-Line. It has also been a point of conversation between us colleagues that I am in the market for a new car, and I have to start looking around WITH AN EXTREMELY OPEN MIND. I promise I’ll try my best to keep things easy to follow, as there will be quite a bit of numbers.
I shall find out if I can live with an EV with the lifestyle I have, and if am ready for it. Or not. Place your bets, now!
Day 1
First thing I did upon taking delivery was to acquaint myself with the vehicle. Sized it up, familiarized myself with the controls, and experimented with different settings when I took it out for a spin.
-Lv. 2 regenerative braking
-Normal brake feel (as opposed to the sport brake feel option)
-Sport drive mode for most of the time.
I could have put it in one pedal operation, but I was going for a “normal car vibe” hence these parameters. Also, the few times I put it in Normal drive mode was out on the highway so I can easily modulate the throttle to avoid going over the speed limit. Eco wasn’t really my cup of tea and left me wanting a lot more.
Speaking of throttle, upon handover I was advised to be careful of the throttle (after a stern reminder to return the unit in a few days and any new scratches incurred will be on me). To some extent, I see the merit in this warning; but in my opinion, it isn’t as violent or as ruthless as EV acceleration is being presented, at least in this case. For sure there will be other purpose-built EVs that can be extremely quick, but the EV6 just has that enough power, torque, and fun factor to match its unique and interesting exterior. It does go as quick as it looks!
Situated in Alabang with a 55% charge [odo 1488km], Pablo and I convoyed our way to Power Plant Mall once I had my settings sorted out to have dinner while charging using their 50kw CCS2 charger located at 8 Rockwell’s Basement 1 parking. There was heavy traffic pretty much everywhere we passed, though Skyway wasn’t as bad but also not moving as fast as it should be. Fingers crossed for an open CCS2 slot!
Arrived at 8 Rockwell with 49% charge [odo 1514km]. Once plugged, the EV6 indicated 29 minutes to 80% charge, or 55 minutes to 100% charge. Maybe it’s a charger issue but the 100% charge got extended for a bit more when we went back to check it once. Ended up taking an hour and a half to fully charge the EV6. No, I’m not complaining. How can I? It’s a free charge and free parking.
It was already about 9PM that we decided to head home, but the traffic was relentless and it’s not even a weekend night.
Arrive home – 97% charge [odo 1522km].
I noticed that the EV6 has a Meridian system as evidenced on the sail pod, and I haven’t gotten the chance to really take a listen how it shines. Really wish I could use some of my CDs to make all 14 speakers sing. By idling in the car for 30 minutes listening to different genres and tweaking the audio to my liking, I found that it stayed at 97% charge but with 6 kilometers less range.
END OF DAY TOTAL – 34 kilometers
Day 2
Work called for me to be in Calamba early in the morning. I guess this is a good time as any other to try taking it for a long-ish drive. Arrived at Calamba with an 88% charge [odo 1574km]. I found that it liked staying at 75-80km/h because it returned the best charge utilization, and anything more returned a slightly higher average. It was averaging 14kWh/100km for most of the trip, though this doesn’t really tell me anything qualitative unlike saying 4km/l, wherein I will almost immediately exclaim AH P*TA MALAKAS.
I’m gonna be totally honest and say I am still adjusting to reading kWh/100km instead of l/100km but it being inversely proportional still rings true. The lower the number, the more efficient it is.
On the way home, I found that the smart cruise control and lane keep assist functions just like any other system I’ve used, which meant they work really well. My favorite of the safety suite would be the rear cross-traffic collision-avoidance assist. It was the one feature that lent me the pairs of eyes that I really needed, if that makes sense.
Arrive home – 79% charge [odo 1627km]
With nothing to do during the afternoon, I gave it 2 hours to charge through a normal 220V outlet out of curiosity. I’ll leave it for you to discuss amongst yourselves.
Having planned a longer trip tomorrow, I needed to get this car charged up to the brim in order for me to quantify a solid result. EV charging significantly slows down when “filling up” from 80% all the way to 100 to generate less heat therefore protecting the battery pack. I wanted to put a number on that significant slow down so I plugged into one AC, then one DC charger.
And this was my first date with Evro.
Evro is an app that shows you what chargers are nearest to you, online/offline status, vacancy, AC or DC, kW capacity, basically supplying you every relevant information you’re ever going to need. You just have to use the app to scan the QR code of the station you intend to use, swipe to start charging, then it’s all a waiting game.
AC Type 2 22kW from 81% to full at 1 hour 40 minutes
DC CCS2 120kW from 83% to full at just 28 minutes
Arrive home AGAIN – 98% charge [odo 1648km]
END OF DAY TOTAL – 126 kilometers
Day 3
It has been part of my routine to visit Subic Freeport at least once every 2 weeks since… 2014? Apart from the first few onsets of lockdowns, nothing has been able to stop me from doing so. Not the soaring gas prices, not the toll fee hikes that doesn’t seem to make sense, not even the color-coded rainfall warnings. With the 528-kilometer range, I am very confident that the EV6 will be part of the list of test units I’ve brought to Subic Freeport easy. Range obviously will not be an issue.
With the frequency and fascination expressed, you might think I hail from Subic. I’m not, but in some alternate universe I might be.
From my place, I took Skyway3 to reach NLEx. That gave me a readout of 95% [odo 1665km] by Balintawak entry.
By the first hour, it was 90% charge [odo 1703km].
An hour and a half on the road, 84% charge [odo 1738km].
Arrive at Subic – 71% charge [odo 1803km]
The EV6 consumed a very reasonable 27% charge for the 155 kilometers it blazed through, with the smart cruise control set to 100km/h. For the whole of NLEx, all I did was stay alert and actively steer when needed.
I had a number of things to attend to in the Freeport, and that required me to go through a cycle of driving short distances and getting off the vehicle throughout the day. This is where I think the EVs earn mega brownie points. With ICEs, short distance drives mean it will consume more fuel than optimal. Getting on and getting off the vehicle also means it will use more fuel with every crank of the starter.
This being a Friday, a workday, I also had to catch up on some work I had on the pipeline. That meant lots of parking and idling while working in between errands. A huge bonus was an outlet I could use to charge my laptop in-car! Plus, a clear weather in Subic meant I had to stay for the picturesque sunset as well. That automatically translates to more idling.
The EV6 took on my Subic run like a champ.
Depart Subic – 61% charge [odo 1830km]
I had the pleasure of dealing with heavy NLEx traffic while heading southbound a couple of kilometers before hitting Mexico, Pampanga.
Arrive home – 35% charge [odo 1985km]
Doing the math, this translated to 26% charge for 155 kilometers. It’s amazing how consistent it is with consumption in relation to distance, but honestly I was expecting it to use a bit less charge because of the colder ambient temperature, and I actually set the smart cruise control to 80km/h this time around; hindsight, that NLEx traffic might have had a buffet.
END OF DAY TOTAL – 337 kilometers
Day 4
A nighttime drive is in order as I don’t want to be stuck at home on a weekend night. Oddly enough, it lost 2% overnight on its own. My hunch is it needed to use some of the charge to cool itself down. We are starting this drive with a 33% charge [odo 1985km].
As a self-confessed mall rat, I have since made it a habit to take a stroll around malls whenever time permits. I do at least an hour’s worth of walking having heard that it might do me some good as I usually spend my days working sitting down. With that, I wanted to see how the EV6 will take on a typical mall parking.
Despite it having a wide track, the ramp up wasn’t a problem. It’s the low headroom portion that got me a bit stumped.
The EV6 cleared it with no issues, but it was funny how the beam appeared super close to the sunroof while I was backing up!
Went around different parts of Manila some more, then decided to charge the EV6 again. Not because it already needs the extra juice, but I just wanted to see how long it will take to fully charge coming from the equivalent of a 1/4 tank, right when most drivers would consider gassing up.
Arrived at Ayala Manila Bay 120 kW CCS2 charging station with 25% charge [odo 2023km].
Charging from 25% to 50% – ~15 minutes
Charging from 25% to 80% – ~26 minutes
Charging from 25% to 100% – ~42 minutes
What’s even surprising is I was the only one charging out of the 5 slots.
With regard to sensitivity, it’s the A/C settings that call for the largest changes in range of the EV6. For reference, I found that for every +1 on A/C blower speed, it takes away 10 kilometers off your range. For every .5 degrees change in temperature, that’s +-1 kilometer. The seat ventilation modes don’t seem to affect the range though.
This is the part where the range and distance travelled numbers made the most impact. Since last full charge, I have travelled 386 kilometers in a mix of city and highway driving and have 138 kilometers of range for the 25% charge remaining. That means, in total, I get 524 kilometers. That’s really, really close to the 528-kilometer range claim by the manufacturer, and I wasn’t even trying to replicate the claim nor was I driving gingerly.
Arrive home – 96% charge [odo 2036km]
After several charges, it brings me a bit of peace knowing there’s charging stations within the 3-4% vicinity. Yes, I actually measured distance with battery percentage. Could this be the start of my EV life? gasp
END OF DAY TOTAL – 51 kilometers
Day 5
I’ve had enough of numbers and calculations for the past 4 days. If you’ve reached this point, I’m pretty sure you’re tired of the math-ing as well. I decided to just enjoy the car for this Sunday!
Full work week ahead means I won’t have any free time to pamper myself. To avoid (further) burnout, I got myself a haircut and rewarded myself with coffee over at BGC.
I love fast food, and I have to know if the EV6 will have problems slotting into MOST drive-thrus if I ever end up semi-permanently driving one. Went to Burger King and treated myself to another cup of coffee. Kind of a tight fit, but nothing impossible.
OT: So what’s with the emphasis on “most”? Yes, I know all drive-thru facilities are designed and built differently. But some can be really… unreasonable. I’m looking at you, Brutalist KFC EDSA near Connecticut. TIGHT AF. Great brownies, though.
Since this is the last full day of the EV6 with me, I made the most out of the day and continued driving well into the night. Doing ronda routinely is how I actually try to relax and keep my mind temporarily clear from the crazy times we live in. The heavy rain was a very nice touch and it felt like it was shielding me from all the murmur and crazy talk the world brings. That, and the EV6 feeling surefooted even under heavy rain allowed me to take a break from my usual needless worrying.
Arrive home – 76% charge [odo 2119km]
END OF DAY TOTAL – 83 kilometers
Day 6
Thoughts? The Kia EV6 as a whole, is a damn good car. It didn’t feel that much different from a normal car, and I use the term “normal car” loosely as majority of the cars plying the Philippine roads are still ICEs. I know you understand what I mean. The EV6 feeling like one is a really good thing because it ensures itself to be at least 70% idiot-proof, anything relating to normal operations are pretty much familiar. It surely doesn’t /sound/ like one, but it didn’t try to fit itself into the EV stereotype at all both in form and function. Everything was where they were supposed (or expected) to be, tactile physical buttons for creature comforts, reasonable use of displays, and a very car-like character in and out instead of trying to emulate a spaceship.
But the EV6 doesn’t come without quirks. For one, there’s a mystery handle below the center console that I never figured out. Speaking of the center console undertray, it’s huge and useful but it’s quite unergonomic. You had to contort your arm in all 3 segments when reaching for stuff placed there, else you’re gonna keep scratching your arms with the cable guides. Another minor issue is the lack of a rear wiper. The back glass is pretty raked and water will surely stick if the glass is neglected even just for a bit. The second-row seats, in my opinion, could also use a bit more knee support. A golf bag can fit in the cargo area, but it needs to be placed in a very specific way so the hatch can close all the way. And lastly, a tighter turning radius would also be appreciated.
Before I forget to share, the suspension feels great and fits my preference really well. Not too hard but not too soft, and not everybody is gonna have the same taste when it comes to suspension feel; but how I like mine dialed is a bit on the stiffer side but not too much and should be able to settle in an instant. Usual bumpy Manila roads weren’t much of a problem but I made sure be very careful not to bruise the 20-inch rims. Ground clearance I don’t have much to say about cause I never encountered any problems clearing anything.
About the Meridian system, I picture Meridian as a brand that tries to replicate sound as close to the intended recording as possible. It’s tuned to a very flat EQ as expected, so if you’re looking for something boom-y this might disappoint you a little. Soundstage, by my ear and imagination, isn’t massive. There were a few times that the instruments sounded like they were overlapping each other. I also found that it had better output on higher volumes, while listening from the back seat. Of my test playlists, it loved doing smooth jazz and soul. Best track: Emi Fujita’s rendition of Desperado off her Camomile album. This particular system might need burning in for it to process sound the way it’s really meant to.
So, how are EVs?
To condense my thoughts, there are three points I’d like to highlight.
Constant presence of range anxiety? Not once in the past 5 days did I feel like I was gonna be out of range while testing it out, BUT that’s totally down to the car. I’m just lucky that the EV6 has a range that equals or surpasses the range ICEs out on the market can offer. I think managing expectations is also key when it comes to selecting EVs as the range spectrum tend to be very wide.
For charging? Frequency illusion will be at play. A week back, I would have a hard time recalling or even finding which malls had charging stations. Now, especially with the help of apps like Evro and Waze, it’s so convenient to find one and goes beyond the usual mall parking chargers for selections. However you put it, high kW DC chargers will always bring the best bang for your minute.
Power? Earlier I’ve already said my piece for the power. As with all things, just know your limit, pull it down a little, then stick with it. Just like ICEs, different EVs cater different purposes. There’s not one answer that will be all encompassing for EVs.
And as for me, am I ready for the EV lifestyle?
Well… I’m gonna sit myself down and have a long think where I possibly could find a cool PhP 3,788,000 in loose change. The EV6 perfectly complements my gas guzzler.
