My only real complaint about the Kia Niro EV

Kia Niro EV

If I have a single complaint regarding the Kia Niro EV I now drive, its the obnoxiously loud back-up warning the VESS (Virtual Engine Sound System) system gives off. And I’m not alone.

The rules in the U.S. state that “The vehicle must make a continuous noise level of at least 56 dBA (within 2 meters) if the car is going 20 km/h (12 mph) or slower, and a maximum of 75 dBA.”

Now that’s clearly a description of a vehicle traveling forward rather than backing up, but additional research turned up a “measured” decibel level of 85 from the VESS beep in reverse. I put measured in quotes because no proof was offered and I can’t verify it.

I found some decibel analogs, including an alarm clock that come is in at 70-80 dBA. The car is louder. Considerably…

Regardless its way too loud and we have no means of adjusting the volume in the U.S.

I disconnected it. I’m now a scofflaw.

In doing so, I discovered that what I thought was just the electric motor whining at low speeds going forward was in fact the VESS! I would hardly call the whine a “virtual engine” but it was at least at a acceptable level.

My last car, the Polestar 2 produced a truly gentle back up warning while in reverse. It was simply never an issue. The Kia is noise for the sake of noise and was causing problems with my neighbors, and understandably so.

Message boards are full of complaints about the sound and I’m not alone in disconnecting the device. I also found a path to send a complaint on to Kia and have done so.

In the meantime, I intend to explore the option of installing a rheostat, which would allow me control over the device.

This is, of course in leu of Kia NOT sending out a software patch that might provide control over the sound in the center screen or on the steering wheel controls.

I’m not hopeful.

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