I have recently grown more affectionate towards electric vehicles, being able to source out chargers within my vicinity. Whether it is at the gym, during class, or when at a dinner downtown. However all the frustrations I have with EVs, not being able to charge when I need to, and always having to wait for a pump and then at the pump, came up during my time with the 2025 Kia EV6 GT Line AWD.
What sets it apart from other fully electric vehicles is that it only takes level 3, fast speed charging, meaning that majority of the chargers that are accessible for those who don’t have the ability to charge at home or within their building? is not compatible here. This would be a lesson I learned the hard way as I found myself looking for and parking at stations only to remove the pump cover and see that it didn’t have the three prongs that I needed. A frustration and waste of time that ultimately had me waiting 1 hour for the ability to not charge the Kia at 38% battery.
All this only to realize that the plug in was for Tesla and that there were adaptor plugs for all the other outlets, stored under the hood in a special compartment. A place I would have never considered and thought to look.
This eventually would all be moot as I got into an accident and my time with the EV6 was literally cut short. Long story short, a larger commercial van drove into me, when trying to get to the charger pump first, by cutting me off. This ordeal was despite me being first in queue and he the third. Once again he and this cause me to cut my time with the Kia EV6 shorter than anticipated.
However, what little time I did have, I did enjoy. There was longevity to the battery life, with the ability to charge through brake work. Not enough to visibly make a difference on the battery percentage or fuel bar, but enough to feel like it was taking longer for each percentage to dwindle.
The vehicle was sporty and stylish in a bold electric blue and aerodynamic body work. Like a Tesla it too had hidden door handles that flipped out as soon as you approached with the car’s fob. Then they would tuck themselves back in as soon as you began driving. I appreciated how they were wider than the Tesla handles as I always thought those to be flimsy, and not easy to grip and pull open the door with.
Inside was just as sporty with light beige paired with the black faux leather seats and detailing. I enjoyed the visual of the ambient lighting running the length of this centre console, with a place to tuck your phone away discretely, for wireless charging. C-cable charging was available with an outlet by the driver’s foot. This ensured that the cable was extended and did not tangle, kept out of your way
What was a hinderance was that the wheel could not be lowered down to where I needed it. Therefore I was left adjusting my seat to accommodate it. However, my torso is longer than my legs, so I typically sit closer to the ground in order for me to have a comfortable enough leg extension. Unfortunately with the 2025 Kia I found myself punching the gas with my tippy toes and exhausting my hip as a result.
The brakes themselves were highly intuitive. The vehicle almost rolls to a quick stop the moment you remove your foot from the petal. There wasn’t a brake coach, but a bar on the dash indicated how much charge you were collecting.
On the windshield was broadcasted map directions, travelling speed, the speed limit, and mention of if you were staying within the lines.
I liked the feel of the matte touchscreen. A pleasant sensation for the fingers. Driving it felt like an every day ordinary car, but with all the sleek features to resonate with the current EV style trends.
