Category: Electric and Electrified Vehicles

Discussions of hybrid, plug-in hybrid and battery powered vehicles and technology.

Kia Niro EV first impressions

Kia Niro EV

The lease on my Polestar 2 recently expired, and I purchased a pre-owned 2022 Kia Niro EV outright (22,000 miles). Over the last few years a rather healthy used EV market has developed, which is great for the industry.

The Kia does not have the prestige of the Polestar but there were a number of reasons why I chose it. The primary one one was my experience driving a rented Hyundai Kona EV while the Polestar was down for body repair. The car, while quite small, was surprisingly capable and full of most of the same features as the Polestar. Hyundai has proven itself a capable EV maker, and Kia is a chip off the block.

There are some things I miss about the Polestar, the surround view camera being the biggest, but several things I don’t miss at all, the center nav stack being the largest. The Niro‘s is so much better thought out.

In the Polestar, if you wanted to switch from media to radio, you had to switch screens. That’s a physical button on the Kia. But its behavior in operation is standout. You can change a pre-set radio station on the steering wheel, which was the same as the Polestar. But unless you had memorized the stations while on the nav screen, to see the new station again required changing screens! In the Kia, the new station is displayed for a few seconds on the far side of the screen! Beautiful.

Plus it picks up the media from the phone without a hitch, while this was always a struggle for the Polestar. Further, the overall sound quality is superior in the Kia. The Polestar‘s front center speaker so dominated the output that I simply reverted to keeping the front speakers turned off.

A surprising advantage not given much attention is the Kia‘s efficiency. Its EPA range is 250 miles. However, it has consistently stayed at about 280 miles! That’s on the order of 4.4 miles per kW from its 64 kW battery, easily one of the highest available. We covered EV efficiency’s here.

I’m quite satisfied with the purchase.

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Remember that only proper service and repair procedures will ensure the safe and reliable operation of your car. In addition, proper safety procedures and precautions, such as the use of safety goggles, the right tools and the equipment should be followed at all times to eliminate the possibility of personal injury or improper service which could damage the vehicle or compromise its safety.

These posts are for information sharing purposes only, and should not be used in lieu of an OEM service manual or factory authorized service procedure. We are not in the auto repair business nor do we publish automotive service manuals. Nothing we include on these pages and posts has been reviewed, approved or authorized by any vehicle manufacturer.

Technology is always changing and what is current and accurate today may be literally out-of-date and inaccurate tomorrow. And when it comes to the current state of flux in the auto industry, nothing is more true.

Permanent link to this article: https://dashboardsymbols.com/2024/10/kia-niro-ev-first-impressions/

How long does it take to charge an electric car?

EV logoHow long does it take to charge

Two weeks ago I changed my ride. And since I have been asked several times how long does it take to charge? Yes, its still an electric vehicle (EV) — I hope to never again put gasoline into a car!

Anyway, the question surprised me each time, as there is little difference one car to the next in the practical, every day sense. But it finally gelled in my mind as lack of information — still — in the general public. So, here’s an attempt to add to what, in truth, is a wealth of information on line.

The everyday

I’m going to divide this into two groups, and the first one is the day to day alluded to earlier. There are two key aspects to this part of the equation: 1) how far do you drive daily and 2) can you charge at home?

  • On an everyday basis, an EV can be charged with a standard wall plug, 110/120 volt. Here if you’re starting at fully discharged, it will take several days to fully charge (please stop short of 100% — see here for why).
  • A 220/240 volt plug can be used. In this case, from fully discharged (also, don’t do this!!) to 90% (for the life of the battery) will take about 8 hours. Overnight!

Home chargerHere’s where the distance driven every day is important, and in truth, few of us pay any attention to this. Most EVs today will go 250 miles, but you’ll want to save some on either end, so assume 220. If your commute is 30 miles round trip, you can go a week on a single charge and a 220/240 volt outlet or Level 2 home charger is ideal!

However, if you drive only 10 miles a day, shuttling kids to school, picking up groceries, etc., you can plug your car into a 110/120 volt outlet, which is Level 1 charging every night and never run out of “gas”!

This is the biggest deviation from driving a gas powered car — you can’t simply pull into a service station and fill up in a few minutes. But its truly not difficult to manage in the day-to-day.

Long distance driving

Here’s where the rubber meets the road. If you’re constantly behind the wheel, be it for business or pleasure, you need the Level 3 charging stations that, while still being built out, are actually easy to find. And, let’s face it, Tesla has the broadest network.

Level 3 stations pour power into an EV fast enough to get your tank 80% full in 20-30 minutes, depending on the vehicle. The charge rate drops off dramatically after 80%, so its more efficient time-wise to stop charging and get back on the road. Again, see more on that here.

What you need to know is the range of an EV you may wish to get into, and how fast it will accept a charge. The car is in control — a Chevy Bolt will not charge faster the the 50 kW it can accept, even at a 150 kW charger! But the vast majority of available EVs charge at up to 150 kW.

So that’s it for now, not that I’ve answered every possible question that can come up. Hopefully this has been helpful to you, even as I wrote as much to reconnect myself to the proper answer when I’m asked again, as I inevitably will be.

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Remember that only proper service and repair procedures will ensure the safe and reliable operation of your car. In addition, proper safety procedures and precautions, such as the use of safety goggles, the right tools and the equipment should be followed at all times to eliminate the possibility of personal injury or improper service which could damage the vehicle or compromise its safety.

These posts are for information sharing purposes only, and should not be used in lieu of an OEM service manual or factory authorized service procedure. We are not in the auto repair business nor do we publish automotive service manuals. Nothing we include on these pages and posts has been reviewed, approved or authorized by any vehicle manufacturer.

Technology is always changing and what is current and accurate today may be litera

Permanent link to this article: https://dashboardsymbols.com/2024/10/how-long-does-it-take-to-charge-an-electric-car/

We have a new YouTube video getting in a Tesla that has a dead 12-volt start battery

Tesla Model 3Dead 12-volt start battery

Earlier, August of 2024 to be exact, we got a panicked call from a friend whose car, a Tesla Model Y, was giving her real headaches. It turned out to have a dead 12-volt start battery.

A number of messages were being displayed in a seemingly random fashion on her instrument panel, but one indicated a problem with the 12-volt battery. Her car is electric, so when she seeing battery caused the panic, but in effect all EVs have 12-volt batteries too, needed to start the electronics. We posted on this at our website and you can see it here.

She was fortunate to have enough power left to actually get in the car. However, no Tesla models have mechanical keys available to accomplish this if the 12-volt battery is actually dead.

The video demonstrates how to get inside a Tesla if the 12-volt battery dies so that the battery can be charged or replaced. The instructions are in the owner’s manual, which inside the locked car on the center screen.

Each model has are two wires, red and black or positive and negative, available somewhere at the front of the Tesla to connect to. The Model 3, Model Y and Model S give identical access behind tow eye cover in the bumper on the left side. The gif file to right is a pretty good demo, but its more difficult in practice.

We added the Model X and Cybertruck as well. You can see the video here on our Tesla page here or on YouTube here.

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Remember that only proper service and repair procedures will ensure the safe and reliable operation of your car. In addition, proper safety procedures and precautions, such as the use of safety goggles, the right tools and the equipment should be followed at all times to eliminate the possibility of personal injury or improper service which could damage the vehicle or compromise its safety.

These posts are for information sharing purposes only, and should not be used in lieu of an OEM service manual or factory authorized service procedure. We are not in the auto repair business nor do we publish automotive service manuals. Nothing we include on these pages and posts has been reviewed, approved or authorized by any vehicle manufacturer.

Technology is always changing and what is current and accurate today may be literally out-of-date and inaccurate tomorrow. And when it comes to the current state of flux in the auto industry, nothing is more true.

Permanent link to this article: https://dashboardsymbols.com/2024/09/we-have-a-new-youtube-video-getting-in-a-tesla-that-has-a-dead-12-volt-start-battery/

EV Charging Etiquette

Charging EVs While Being Considerate

We’re not the only ones to speak on this, but we’ve seen too many electric vehicles (EVs) sitting at Level 3 fast charge stations either done charging and blocking a station or charging above 80%, meaning very, very slowly. So it we will add our voice to the chorus of EV charging etiquette posts, and we’ll take that last one first.

1) Stop charging at 80%

We’ve seen more confusion about this than anything else related to Level 3 charging, and it all comes down to charge curves. Regardless of how fast an EV charges, each and every one of them slows down dramatically at 80% charge (see the image below from P3). So whatever time it takes to get to 80%, it will take up to three times that time to get to 100%. This is the least efficient way to charge on long trips. You can get half way to the next charge station in the time wasted getting to 100%!

The result is a charger that is not available to another driver, a waste of your time, and its really hard on the battery. Meaning it will shorten its life!

We understand the desire to “fill the tank” angst associated with leaving a battery 20% empty. But trust us when we say that the angst will pass with time and you’ll get along just fine at 80% and less.

2) Use the proper plug

This is essentially for non-Tesla owners. Your car determines the rate at which electricity is transferred to the battery. So parking a Chevy Bolt, which charges at 50 kW, at 350 kW charger does a huge disservice to owners of vehicles that can make use of the faster charger. Your car will not charge any faster than its rated speed, regardless of what charger you’ve plugged into.

Please leave the faster chargers for vehicles that can use them.

3) Move your EV when its done charging, not when you’re done shopping!

This is a primarily time awareness issue, and of course moving your car is again about opening a charge spot for another driver. Most EV’s get to 80% charge in 20 to 30 minutes and your owner’s manual will give you a solid heads up. Also, your car’s app may be able to tell you when charging is finished or close to finished.

So if you’ve wandered off to lunch or shopping, for the sake of everyone else, please come back to your car on time to open a slot for someone else.

4) Know your vehicle’s charge port location

Nearly all gasoline fill locations on on one side or the other in the rear of the vehicle. EVs can charge from similar locations but some are in the front! In any case, knowing which par of the car that needs to be closest to the charge cable will save some embarrassment.

Of course, all Tesla models charge from the left rear.

5) Don’t leave trash behind

One would think all EV drivers are environmentally conscious, but this turns out not to be the case. And unfortunately, charge stations don’t have trash receptacles around, since no attendant is needed! So, if you generate some trash, please be prepared to take it away with you.

6) Never unplug someone else’s vehicle

Unless its an absolute emergency, never, ever touch another driver’s car. You wouldn’t want someone to do that to you (unless you left a note allowing it!) so don’t ever do it to someone else.

7) Level 2 charger time limits

Finally, if you happen upon a slower Level 2 public charger, be aware of any posted time limits. You won’t get as much charge, but others may want a little boost too. Leave when its your time to leave.

In all cases, be considerate of other EV drivers!

P3-Charging_Index

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Remember that only proper service and repair procedures will ensure the safe and reliable operation of your car. In addition, proper safety procedures and precautions, such as the  use of safety goggles, the right tools and the equipment should be followed at all times to eliminate the possibility of personal injury or improper service which could damage the vehicle or compromise its safety.

These posts are for information sharing purposes only, and should not be used in lieu of an OEM service manual or factory authorized service procedure. We are not in the auto repair business nor do we publish automotive service manuals. Nothing we include on these pages and posts has been reviewed, approved or authorized by any vehicle manufacturer.

Technology is always changing and what is current and accurate today may be literally out-of-date and inaccurate tomorrow. And when it comes to the current state of flux in the auto industry, nothing is more true.

Permanent link to this article: https://dashboardsymbols.com/2024/04/ev-charging-etiquette/

To EV or Not to EV…

Reasons NOT to by an EV Debunked

Tesla Model 3So we spotted a post on “X” recently titled “12 Reasons NOT to buy an EV” (electric vehicle), which leave internal combustion engine (ICE) powered cars as the only alternatives. We thought we’d have a look at it point by point.

The 12 Reasons Each With a Counterpoint

1) Purchase cost is way higher.
– Not true. Expensive models get the most press, and there are many of them, but there are some very, very affordable EVs. We’re not going to point to any manufacturers (we’re not in sales), just do some homework. And that statement completely ignores cost of ownership, which goes to EVs hands down. If cost of ownership is a foreign concept, its homework time again…

2) Depreciation is massive.
– There is some truth here, but it is massively overstated. In further truth, its too early to fully determine. The industry remains in infancy, prices are coming down thus lowering pre-owned EV prices.

3) The Batteries cannot be recycled on a commercial scale.
– Partly true. They can be recycled at scale, but this is still being ramped up. The mineral value is driving this.

4) The performance claims are grossly exaggerated.
– If this is a reference to speed, this is flat out wrong. If its a reference to range, its partially true. Most manufacturers are pretty conservative with range estimates. Consumer Reports data confirms this.

5) They carry no spare wheel so to reduce weight.
– This is actually true, but across the entire automotive industry. All vehicles, ICE and EV, are transitioning to refill kits rather than spare tires, again to reduce weight. Not all flat tires can be re-inflated so we’ll take this opportunity to tell the industry to ensure that at least a donut is available in all vehicles!

6) You can’t charge them from a flat or a house without a drive.
– Somewhat true, but a solvable problem. I live in a “flat” (apartment) and it has four Level 2 charging stations available and a charge port can be placed along the road in most cases at private homes that lack a drive(way).

7) Charging points are not ubiquitous enough to journey with confidence.
– Again somewhat true. More charge stations would be better, but planning can accommodate the vast majority (journeys) trips with the stations currently available.

8) Batteries that catch fire cannot be extinguished without plunging the whole car into a skip-full of water.
– This is actually true. However, fires (not to mention explosions) are far, far more common with the rolling bombs more generally known as ICE vehicles. Any EV fire gets so much attention that perception becomes skewed. Its actually very difficult to get an EV battery to burn.

9) Existing car parks are not designed to cope with the 50% higher weight.
Tesla Model 3– Sooo many things wrong with this. EVs are heavier, yes, but an EV of about equal size is only 15% heavier, not 50% (Camry vs Model 3)! Further, large SUVs (Escalade 7,700 lbs.) are actually heavier (25%) than most electric powered SUVs (Model X, 6,200 lbs))! Now there are hints that the writer of the piece is from Europe, where cars are generally smaller, but we don’t believe for a minute that car parks built anywhere are built to the lowest possible standards.

10) The time to queue and charge an EV is magnitudes of filling a petrol tank.
– This is true, but can an ICE vehicle be refilled at home??

11) The environmental damage of extracting minerals and making batteries is more than using fossil fuels.
– This is just flat out wrong and propaganda. Oil must be extracted as well.

12) Insuring EVs is massively higher than petrol/diesel vehicles.
– We have not found this to be the case, but in truth Tesla started its own insurance division because of high prices in some regions. We believe this is levelling out as EVs become ubiquitous.

And finally, a few of points in favor of EVs.

  • Regaining “fuel” while slowing down (try that in an ICE vehicle).
  • And that process (regeneration) will make your brakes last 100,000 miles or more!
  • Peace and quiet!
  • Far, far fewer moving parts to fail or require maintenance!
  • No more oil changes!
  • No more gasoline/diesel fumes to inhale while refilling!
  • And on, and on, and on…

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Remember that only proper service and repair procedures will ensure the safe and reliable operation of your car. In addition, proper safety procedures and precautions, such as the use of safety goggles, the right tools and the equipment should be followed at all times to eliminate the possibility of personal injury or improper service which could damage the vehicle or compromise its safety.

These posts are for information sharing purposes only, and should not be used in lieu of an OEM service manual or factory authorized service procedure. We are not in the auto repair business nor do we publish automotive service manuals. Nothing we include on these pages and posts has been reviewed, approved or authorized by any vehicle manufacturer.

Technology is always changing and what is current and accurate today may be literally out-of-date and inaccurate tomorrow. And when it comes to the current state of flux in the auto industry, nothing is more true.

Permanent link to this article: https://dashboardsymbols.com/2024/01/to-ev-or-not-to-ev/

Charging an Electric Car: The Basics You Need to Get Started

Just Plug it In?

Charging an electric car or electric vehicle (EV) might well seem mysterious to the uninitiated, so we’ve set out here to simplify the charging process. Just like charging your smartphone, at first blush the car just needs to be plugged in.

There are three levels of charging that, in effect, move from slow to fast. They are aptly named Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3. The first two levels can be done at home, and descriptions of all three are next.

Opportunities to Charge at Home

120V connectorLevel 1: This level requires only a standard 110V/120V plug found in your home or apartment. A grounded adapter, like the one shown to the right, will have been supplied with the car. Charging at Level 1 adds 3 to 4 miles of range per hour of charging.

Level 2: This level requires can use a standard 220V/240V outlet, like one you may have available for a household clothes dryer and adds range at 15 to 20 miles per hour of charging. This is a superior option easily “filling” your car overnight and the adapter, likely supplied with 240V connectorthe car, is shown to the right.

However, we recommend having a charging station set up at your home as there are many tax incentives available that can be taken advantage of. The stations will allow for additional programming to take advantage of lower electricity rates. The car itself can likely do this as well, but the station set up will avoid the hassle of unplugging an d plugging in your dryer over and over.

Note that there are public Level 2 chargers available in some municipalities intended for shoppers or restaurant goers to charge while shopping or eating. They might even be free. The results will only be 20 to 30 miles of range added in most cases.

Fast Charging On the Road

Level 3: This is fast charging public networks using direct current (DC) and is not something available for set up at home. These stations can add up to 600 miles of range per hour of charging depending on both what the car will allow and what the charge station can supply! Further, the chargers are specifically tied to charging standards set by manufacturers, but in the majority of cases, you will spend roughly 30 minutes charging to 80% charge. Please follow this link to learn why you should actually stop there!

EV ConnectorsThere are three standards: Combined Charging System (CCS), CHAdeMO (CHArge de(for) MOve(ing)), and North American Charging Standard (NACS). We’ll ignore the second one, which was developed in Japan, and you should as well in deciding on a purchase as it is used by only a handful of manufacturers, has only a small charging network, and is being superseded. Due to simplicity, lighter weight cabling and extensive network, the NACS standard, a Tesla creation, is slowly being adopted by nearly all auto manufacturers selling vehicles here in the U.S. However, be absolutely sure the connectors on the car are correct if you choose something other than a Tesla and wish to use its network.

The CCS standard does have a significant and useful charging network from a number of suppliers, most notably Electrify America and EVgo, and is used currently by the majority of non-Tesla auto manufacturers. There is no reason to shy away from a vehicle using these Level 3 chargers. Some Tesla stations have been Home chargeradapted to charge CCS-equipped cars as well, but they are few and far between currently. Finally, the CCS network will also be transformed to handle the NACS standard.

Just know that the vast majority of us do only local driving and the easiest and most efficient means of charging is with a Level 2 station set up at home, like the one seen to the right. You’ll never need to pump gas again, never be overcharged for an oil change again, and will always leave home with a full “tank”!

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Remember that only proper service and repair procedures will ensure the safe and reliable operation of your car. In addition, proper safety procedures and precautions, such as the use of safety goggles, the right tools and the equipment should be followed at all times to eliminate the possibility of personal injury or improper service which could damage the vehicle or compromise its safety.

These posts are for information sharing purposes only, and should not be used in lieu of an OEM service manual or factory authorized service procedure. We are not in the auto repair business nor do we publish automotive service manuals. Nothing we include on these pages and posts has been reviewed, approved or authorized by any vehicle manufacturer.

Permanent link to this article: https://dashboardsymbols.com/2023/12/charging-an-electric-car-the-basics-you-need-to-get-started/

EV Charging: Whose Electric Vehicles Have the Fastest Charging Speed?

Speed Kills? Not Here!

Back in July, we posted on the efficiency of electric vehicles, or EVs, using miles per kilowatt as the metric. You can see that post here.

But whose electric vehicles have the fastest charging speed?

We promised to then post on charging efficiency or charging speed when DC, or Level 3, charging. This proved to be a really difficult nut to crack as manufacturers throw numbers around that are near meaningless and mostly self serving. Whatever number makes their car or cars look good, they will use. There is no standard metric. Or at least there wasn’t until now.

The Real Pros

Enter Edmunds.com. Working with P3, they have the resources and the access to do this properly and have researched the topic which has culminated in their article, Which EVs Charge the Fastest? The link will take you there.

So we will defer to them on the topic — they will do it best, and have already done it. By all means when doing research on your next or first EV, check out their work.

They tested charge rates when batteries are at 10% charge and charged only to 80%, which is exactly how you should charge your car at a DC or Level 3 charge station. By stopping at 80% charge, you spare a battery’s overall lifespan and better maintain its long-term performance. Charging power for most, if not all, vehicles also significantly slows beyond 80% (see the charge curve and discussion below), so it’s generally best to unplug at that point. Its the best use of your time as well as the car’s battery and frees up the charging station.

We’ll make one notable observation. In our efficiency research, Hyundai’s fleet was second only to Lucid and tied with Tesla. You can see it in our previous post. Edmunds testing places two Hyundai models and one Kia — same manufacturer — at the very top of charging speed! So, not only does Hyundai come in with the best range but many of their models charge the fastest as well!

Edmund’s leaderboard is here. They use an interesting metric of miles added per hour while DC charging, leading to numbers that do not reflect range! The Ioniq 6 adds range (charges) at 868 miles per hour! This does not mean that the car will go 868 miles when done charging. It means it will hit its roughly 300 mile range and be done charging well before the rest of the field!

The next fastest charging model that is not a Hyundai or Kia is the Porsche Taycan at 690 miles per hour, a full 20% less. The first Tesla is the Model 3 at 569 mi/hr, 35% slower than the Ioniq 6.

A final note here. All EVs feature a charge curve, like the one shown below from P3. It’s a little difficult to read, but reading it is not the point (you can read it here). All of vehicles shown behave in a very similar fashion, and yours will too. They start fast and finish slow. It is the nature of today’s battery technology and stopping at 80% is best for you, the battery and the charging public. Adding another 10% could take as long as the first 70!

Fastest charging speeds

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Remember that only proper service and repair procedures will ensure the safe and reliable operation of your car. In addition, proper safety procedures and precautions, such as the use of safety goggles, the right tools and the equipment should be followed at all times to eliminate the possibility of personal injury or improper service which could damage the vehicle or compromise its safety.

These posts are for information sharing purposes only, and should not be used in lieu of an OEM service manual or factory authorized service procedure. We are not in the auto repair business nor do we publish automotive service manuals. Nothing we include on these pages and posts has been reviewed, approved or authorized by any vehicle manufacturer.

Permanent link to this article: https://dashboardsymbols.com/2023/11/ev-charging-whose-electric-vehicles-have-the-fastest-charging-speeds/