Traveling in an electric car still seems somewhat complicated, but the Kia EV Experience allows us to live the experience on a journey between Madrid and Burgos aboard two of its models from the EV range. Is it really difficult to take long trips in a battery-powered car?
Can you travel in an electric car? The relationship between electric cars and long distances has not been the best in recent years and, although the qualities of these models have improved, there is still room for improvement. However, it is possible to take a trip in a battery-powered car and that is what we have been able to do with the Kia EV6 and the Kia EV9 on a trip from Madrid to Burgos.
To prove that driving a model without a thermal engine should not be limited to cities, Kia organized an experience with these two members of its zero-emission range. The objective was to travel from Madrid to Burgos and return to the capital, making the first trip along various types of roads and returning on a direct highway route.
We start with the Kia EV6. Specifically, it is a unit in GT-Line finish in its version with 239 kW (325 HP) and 805 Nm of torque. It is accompanied by a 77.4 kWh capacity battery and has a WLTP range of 506 kilometers. More than enough for the 225 kilometers that separate Burgos and the Kia Iberia offices in Alcobendas.
In principle, it would not be necessary to stop to charge to reach the destination when leaving with the battery, as long as you leave at full capacity. This is one of the main differences compared to traveling with a combustion car: planning. In a thermal car, you can refuel right when you leave; In an electric one, this changes.
In this case, it is best to leave with the battery already charged. If not, you will have to stop to charge and, to see how this situation would be experienced, we have scheduled a stop halfway through. This is something that you also have to take into account before starting the trip, of course, since charging points are not as frequent as gas stations.
Thus, we leave Madrid with the EV6 and maintain normal driving, without needing to maximize the energy and drive in ECO mode throughout the journey. Once the rush hour traffic jams have been resolved, we travel along the highway at a conventional pace, with hardly any outside noise in the cabin and with the comforts offered by any other modern car.
Later we leave these roads and enter secondary roads where the Kia EV6, like a good electric car, does not disappoint. With its battery located on the floor and the fact that it is not an SUV, it offers good dynamic behavior, with immediate accelerator response, quick steering and very effective braking from the moment you touch the pedal.
Here we have changes of pace and elevation, as well as curves of different speeds that pair wonderfully with the sportiest driving mode. This is where driving this model is most enjoyable, which, on the other hand, continues to offer a feel that is more focused on comfort than that of an EV6 GT.
Upon reaching the stop, a consumption of about 23 kWh/100 km has been recorded
With this, after a journey of 142 kilometers and a little more than an hour and a half of travel, we arrived at the Tudanca restaurant. This is where Zunder charging points of different capacities are located, where we plug in the car at a maximum power of 100 kW for just over half an hour. We arrived with 58% and, after 40 minutes, we left with 100%.
In this way, we resumed our march to continue the remaining 90 kilometers to Burgos, where we arrived with a 76% charge after driving on another section of secondary roads and highway. There other chargers await us in which we can face the return, once again, to maximum capacity. Specifically, we came out with 98%.
This time, we return with a Kia EV9. Thus we move on to a car 5,015 mm long, with 283 kW (385 HP) and 700 Nm of torque, as well as a 99.8 kWh battery that allows it to achieve 505 kilometers of autonomy. With up to 7 seats, it is clear that it is designed to move families and to do so beyond the city. Now, how do you do it?
After leaving the center of Burgos, we go out to the highway, where we will meet during the 225 kilometers that the journey will last. Thus, a priori we drive with sensations similar to those of the EV6, although it is evident that they were not going to be the same, this being a very different car.
For example, the feel is softer and it is a more voluminous car, so full acceleration to join the road is much more noticeable. It is certainly not a lazy car, but it has a much clearer focus on on-board comfort, something that can be seen in the suspension and in the seats themselves, with all the functions to make you feel at home.
With this, the trip aboard the EV9 is carried out calmly and without complications, my only drawback being the sound of the wind at highway speeds. This is how we managed to reach Madrid after just over two hours, again without thinking about maximizing autonomy during the journey. 35% marks the indicator, predicting 132 more km of driving before we run out of energy.
On the return trip, road consumption was about 27 kWh/100 km
Thus, taking a trip in an electric car is becoming a less risky experience and, although it still cannot be compared to the ease of doing so with a thermal car, the improvement is evident. Yes, the ranges will have to continue growing and especially the infrastructure of charging points but, with planning, a BEV can take you very far.