TESTED: 2022 Kia EV6 Falls Short of EPA Range Estimate

Testing the EV6 in the real world

Edmunds tests every new electric vehicle on the same real-world driving loop to see just how far it can travel from a full charge down to zero miles remaining. If you scroll through our EV range leaderboard, you’ll see that most EVs have matched or exceeded their EPA range estimates in our testing. Much of that has to do with our ability to test in near-ideal conditions year-round.

Our dual-motor EV6 had 20-inch wheels with all-season tires (Continental CrossContact RX, 255/45 R20) that were inflated to the factory-recommended pressure of 36 psi, a far lower tire pressure than we’re used to seeing for EVs. Rolling the EV6 onto our scales at our test track revealed it weighed 4,649 pounds, which is 49 pounds lighter than the comparably equipped Hyundai Ioniq 5 we tested just a few weeks before.

Over the course of a full day of driving at a slightly chilly average temperature of 58 degrees, we managed to travel a total of 261 miles, missing the EPA range target by 13 miles or roughly 5%. By comparison, the Ioniq 5, which had the same batteries and motors and weighed slightly more, traveled 270 miles on a slightly cooler 55-degree day, which is typically worse for range. In the grand scheme of things, 9 miles is not a big difference, but after looking over our full testing numbers, we’re not too surprised that the EV6 came up short.

After testing the EV6’s dynamic performance at the Edmunds test track, we found it to be strikingly similar to the Hyundai Ioniq 5. In a few cases, though, the EV6 seemed to have a slight performance advantage, particularly in braking and cornering, which likely means slightly grippier tires (they are the same size but from different manufacturers). We aren’t counting out the slight weight advantage either, but at 1% of the total car’s body weight, we doubt it’s enough to move the needle.

Performance often comes at the price of something else, and in this case, we’re guessing efficiency. So why, then, with a slight performance advantage and virtually identical powertrain hardware, would the Kia EV6 have an 18-mile range advantage over the Hyundai? By our real-world account, it doesn’t.