Living with the Kia E Niro - Is 2000 miles in an EV easy ?! 

Your first mistake I noticed was using Ecotricity. They are notoriously unreliable. The second mistake was not filtering the networks in Zap-Map. I have the contactless networks filtered so they are the only ones that show on the map. Since I have done that, EV road trips have been stress free. A very good, fair and realistic review of what it's like to own an EV. Well done.

I get the feeling that electric vehicles are going to be really good for the coffee industry.

All the EV enthusiasts have the exact same complaint you do about how fragmented and complicated the charging network is. I liked the Shell one where it is simple and you just use your credit card. I think that is how they all should be.

Very objective video, answered pretty much all of my questions about EV's. Enjoyed this video so much, it convinced me, so I went and bought an E-Niro. My BMW no longer suited my driving profile, most of my drives are now "local" and any of my infrequent long drives are actually less than 220 miles return so I can drive there, drive back and recharge at home - perfect fit. The last time I made a private car journey which would consume 100% battery one way, meaning a full public recharge, was in 2016 to Devon - I can live with that. Very comfortable car, lovely to drive, very well equipped, just missing the BMW's head up display.

I don’t understand the criticism for the last video, I think you highlighted the real world issues and concerns people are having.

I’ve owned this car for 18 months, so just to say this is a very comprehensive and true to life review of the car and charging life. Best car chargers are the contactless and go, and i basically keep the car in eco+ unless going in the motorway

The charging networks payment issue is something i just don't get. Snack and soda vending machines take credit cards. Why can't the EV stations just all take CCs... silliness holding back an industry.

Enjoyable and well analysed video. I’m always amazed at how much less efficient headlights are in the wet as little of the light is reflected back to you due to the shiny surface of the water. Try using a torch at a low angle on a pond or mirror .

We have had an e Niro 2 years now. Totally agree with you about the complications involved with various charging units. Also need to have far more fast charges available. Scotland is particularly poor for charging units. We had some stressful days finding charges many out of order.

I was one of those critics of your Etron review, so I watched this presentation with interest. Hats off to you, you have made a proper attempt to get to grips with understanding EV ownership. The result a very fair and reasonable review of the current state of EV ownership. Thank you for your commitment to giving it a committed review. It really comes across that you have made the effort this time. As an owner of both a Kona and Tesla my advice to friends considering EV ownership is that if you do very high mileage (like you did in the video) then maybe EV ownership isn’t for you yet, but if you do up to say 15k miles/ year then you should be fine. An excellent, fair, balanced review. It’s all I ask. Well done.

Hi. I have a Nero here in NZ; nearly all houses have a garage, so charging at home is the norm. Because this car has such a formidable range, when we go someplace we can nearly always go there and back on a single charge. However there is a reasonable public charging infrastructure, if needed. We have done nearly 16,000km so far and used a public charger just five times. We carry a "tucker box" (kiwi for "lunch basket!") so don't waste the savings on fast food. We also have a solar set up so we mostly top up on sunshine. That makes me smile! Overall we find having this car is very satisfying and a good experience. Recommend.

My FE has over 337,000 miles. Last October, 2021 I did 16,800 miles. Some days, I do 1,100 miles. I seriously doubt anyone else has as much Niro time/miles. I gotta say that I love this vehicle. Very reliable. Best tank lasted 670 miles but most are 520-540 miles.

Took an e-Niro for a test drive today. This video has been really helpful as it gives an insight into the reality of owning one. Thanks

Well, I thought at first, yet another electric car review, but no, you have done a great talk-through of what too and not too expect. This is the first time a have watch a video from 0 to 60 without skipping through. Loved it. Well done

SHELL appears the way forward, it looks so easy, great vlog.

Thanks for this. Like so many reviews I am getting so excited about buying a Niro. Your comment around 26minutes about the headlamps has made me rethink as I struggle to drive at night, my eyes just take forever to adjust. Looks like I might have to wait until they make them brighter or look at a different brand. Thanks a really good insightful review.

I've been waiting for this video for so long lol. Thank you so much for doing this video and with the 77kwh max capability of this car, having a DC fast charger that's easy to use and easy to access is key to adoption. Electrify America has up to 350kwh chargers and would pair great with this car. My first EV will be a Spark EV for the short term and an e-niro in the long run.

I have been researching EV's a lot lately. It was really great to see a lot of miles on the car, and to hear what your impressions were.

Great review. I have an Ioniq and feel the same way about the headlights. It’s one of my few gripes.

I totally agree with you little rant about the mess of different charging companies. It makes no sense that you had to download five different apps in order to charge the car. For EV up take to really take off we need to have one app for all of the different charges. Let's hope that in the future the process of charging will be cohesive and more user friendly.

I had the hybrid version and agree with you about the poor headlights. Very informative review. Thanks.

Great insight into the EV world. I found this vid very interesting and I'll be waiting alot longer now until charge stations have improved. Cheers.

It's not very often that I like this kind of RU-vid video but I like this one a lot. Thanks

Thanks for posting this video. I haven't heard anything about the Kia electric, so it was very nice to hear your take on it. I liked to hear about all the hiccups that you ran into because we will all probably run into the same problems. So, thanks bud!

Like watching his videos as he gives a warts and all view of owning an EV. As a potential purchaser of this type of vehicle, I want to to know the pitfalls *before* I buy rather than afterwards. Great video, good to see you have done your research but it highlights the fragmented landscape for charging in the UK. Hopefully something, whichever government we get in, will tackle as a matter of urgency. Keep up the good work.

I bought a 2017 Kia Niro Eco/Hybrid and I love it (and it doesn't need to be plugged in to charge)

Great video, very informative. For someone at the very start of my e car awareness this has really helped highlight the key issues, thanks

Just about to take delivery of an Nero for work and your account of the pros and cons is very helpful especially the planning aspects of charging. Thankyou.

When I travel (U.S), fuel is the least part of my planning. Think I'll stick to ICE. However, having owned two KIAs, currently a Sedona, I'm not surprised KIA has done a good job with the E Niro.

Great video. Thank you for putting the effort in, I learnt an aweful lot!

Great review. Interesting comment about the fast charge window from 20-80%.

Excellent video, very informative. My son has just bought a gen 1 Nissan Leaf and is getting used to it. On his first trip, getting it home from Grimsby to Manchester he had 6 backup charge stations set up.

I've had a Hyundai Kona Electric Prem SE since Aug 19. It has the same EV motor & battery capacity/management as the Kia e-Niro. After a few thousand miles, including long trips between Essex & Devon, and Essex & Leeds, I totally agree with your comments regarding the non-Tesla charging network. I have over five charging apps and two charging RFID cards plus extensively use Zap-Map. My best experiences have been with Polar, GeniePoint and PODPoint rapid (50kW) chargers with regards reliability and availability. My worst experience has been with Ecotricity rapid chargers. Ecotricity rapid charges typically dropped out after 20 minutes of charging, and their older chargers last only 2 - 3 minutes before dropping out. From on-line queries, it appears the later is a known problem. Kona battery management system asks the charger to deliver as much power as it can up to Kona's max charging rate (

Good video. We need to remember he is doing 2K in 2 weeks. If you doing 50K/Y maybe an EV is not for you . If like many of us doing 12K/Y and charging from home, you may need to visit a public charger once a month.

Very informative and painted a real world picture of EV driving. I wont be in any hurry to convert!

Thank you for the video. This is one of the fairest and best EV car video on the internet based on actual use. Keep making your videos, they are concise, informative, factual in real life situations. I have had my eye on. Kia Niro as I do lots of short journeys so ideal but long distance driving definitely needs some planning. Great video.

For day to day use, EV's are perfect, especially with the same sort of range that the E Niro has. Much more difficult for longer journies, hopefully with time these things are rectified and the infrastructure is a lot better.

Hi Peter, well done, much better this time around (a,b,c rules). I agree that the charging infrastructure remains the achilles heel for mass adoption of EV's. However, this is improving at a faster and faster rate. Thank you for a great EV roadtrip.

Great video. For my needs this is perfect for me. Brilliant. All I have to do is wait for them to be able to sell me one.

Brilliant and informative video. Right on mate, enjoy your new EV.

Really good video. Totally get your frustration with charge network. This situation should be nipped in the bud very quickly and all should be as easy as the Shell charger point. 👍

The reduced range you saw in poor weather was not much to do with the battery, it's just a combination of denser cold air causing more aero drag plus wet roads having more rolling resistance. You only notice it in an EV because recharging takes 45 mins to put in 80% for 200 miles rather than 5 mins to put in 60 litres for 400 miles with a diesel. btw you can granny charge on a long extension cable, I charged a Kona from my shed over a 50m reel, just make sure that the reel is fully extended so it doesn't overheat.

Great video, really useful for someone thinking of getting an e-niro. Thanks Ped.

AMEN! one APP, or at least make it possible to use as a guest with a credit cart. I appreciate that you took a second chance on an electric car. I was one that didn't like the eTron video that you didn't prepare for, but will give you a bit of credit for planning this use much better.

One of the best EV videos I’ve seen. Nice one. Interesting to hear about how good the Shell chargers are. Ecotricity is letting EV reputation down massively. Very good review, fair and realistic. Owner of two EVs and you’ve got it spot on.

On M1 yesterday . Just two chargers at service station ! On the M1 for heavens sake ! Both taken up and an impatient family sat waiting . About sums up why I won’t go for an ev car any time soon

Last week I had a holiday in the lakes. It was 80 miles from home to our base, we did 3 drives total 60 miles and 90 miles coming home. So total mileage was 230 enough to get me there and back. I'm now convinced ev works for me especially as my average weekly mileage is less than 100. So upto 2 minutes from the end I'm a Nero man then you dropped the bomb shell about the lights. Yours is the only review that picked this up. So now I'm not so sure

Thanks for a comprehensive and honest review of the real world of an EV user, which I found quite encouraging in respect of finding a charger when you NEED one. For an example of your point about over-complication, take Pod Point, who have a charger on the North Norfolk coast, which I couldn't use via their app because my phone couldn't get enough signal! Thanks to Zapmap and Shell, Polar, etc., where cards can be used, I am reassured. I tested an e-Niro, a great car (I'm on the waiting list) with enough storage space for a few simple network access cards! Well done!

Completely agree on the variety of apps and rfid tags - it should be as easy as turning up, plugging it in and waving your contactless card. There simply is no comparison with the ease of use and speed of charge of the Tesla Superchargers currently (in the UK at least).

Great video showing the reality of having an EV! Just what I was looking for thanks :)

I have had a 24Kw nissan leaf for the last 5 years and have done 92k. Have put a deposit down for the e-niro and am looking forward to the additional range. Your video confirmed what I expected on range so thanks for that.

An excellent review. I had no idea that you had to download apps for many charging points. Agree with you re the Shell charging point being a lot simpler. The other thing putting me off electric at the moment is the possible long wait at charging stations waiting for another car to finish charging. I am hoping that battery technology continues improving together with the infrastructure.

Now have watched it to the end, apparently the 2020 model has LED lights. In Scotland you get access to a lot of free chargers which is great and at the minute you can take £3500 off the £36k price tag still. For now.... Agree on the cards/app/charging thing too! Don’t see why you can’t just use a card to pay

Ped, can you turn the rear wiper off? That might save a mile or two on the range 😀. Great vid, real world experience worth so much more than manufacturer info.

1st couple times people use public chargers is always a learning experience... Well done 👍👍

Great review with lots of useful, real world information, good job Pete 👍

Had one last week for 3days and absolutely loved it. Completely sold on the eNiro and wish it was available in the uk in less than 12months!!! I’d disagree on the performance though... 0-60 is around 7seconds but it feels so fast because it’s instant

Great video Peter. Infrastructure is still an issue and that's why I would still consider a hybrid over full electric

Your comments about the charging infrastructure are exactly what I experienced in 3 years of running my i3 - fortunately, I had the REX version so could keep going if found a dodgy charger - Ecotricity is referred to Ecotrocity by the EV community - they are more often than not out of service or broken. Great video - like the E Niro, and was one of the cars on my list before I regressed back to fossil fuel!

Looks like you learned a lot. Great video. Very educational for those of us learning about EV's.

Sounds like your expectations are too high. Charging has come a long way, and yes, it needs to be better. Once there are more ev vehicles on the road, I think the charging problem will get better. Thanks for the video as I really enjoyed it!

Agree with you that the infrastructure isn't quite there yet. I think once the main fuel companies - Shell, BP etc. start to really develop and implement charging stations on a large scale, EVs will really take off. I think I'll stick with my GTI for now though! Great video as usual :)

Great video, i like the sceptics point of view best as I tend to be over enthusiastic. I very rarely do any serious miles so could easily live with a car like this and stop having to charge my phev every single time I get home.

A good review, I called you out on your planning with the eTron. This video is a fair go at driving electric with the planning the average person would do before going ev. Like you've said there is a learning curve and some things need to be improved but it is a viable solution for many. 👍

Cheers Pete, Good to see a proper "real world" EV test rather than one in a warm country with flat roads that other EV proponents push. I'm still not tempted to make the switch. Think I'll wait till charge network is sorted or petrol runs out ha ha

Hint, only charge long enough to get to the next charging station, as evs charge faster in the lower 50% of the battery than in the upper 50%, which is why Tesla Superchargers are spaced 100 to 150 miles apart. Also the Niro can charge at over 70 KW so you should try to use 100-150KW chargers. 50 KW will take much longer.

Spot on review. Charging network complaints are always identical. Maybe Ionity will bring it forward. Payment wise it will still depend on their pass. Recharge is good with it's payment option. Haven't used them yet since it's shell... That put me off at first.

You are bang on with what the Mitsy PHEV did regarding temperature and the range drain. They are good once we re think our approaches to our driving. The PHEV had brilliant headlights, problem being ya couldn’t lower the heights on dip. Had no end of people flash at night, of course, at which point ya flashed main beam in return, then saw the whites of their eyes. That was my only downside concerning that particular vehicle.

Thanks for an excellent review. I'm slightly obsessed with EV's but would never be able to own one, stuck with my dirty diesel i'm afraid.

Spot on! Great review especially on the Charging Network, there are too many Apps, too many ways to pay, and too many chargers not working when you arrive. Shell have it right with their contactless chargers. They should all be like that. Tesla are the only one getting this right (apart from Shell). If you have a Tesla it all just works, including excellent Sat Nav integration. Model 3 Performance review next please :-) That will also take care of the nice Porsche!

By far the best "road trip" EV video that I have seen. Normally don't make it to the end of them.

I have one with 13,000 km on it so far. It has exceeded all my expectations and continues to perform flawlessly

'Thumbs Up' well and truly earned for this video, thank you very much. I'm still in the thought process of changing to an EV, and this video is a huge help (positive) 👍

As a new EV owner / convert, it's refreshing to see a review by a petrolhead looking at the practicalities of using an EV, rather than an EV enthusiast extolling the virtues of their favorite vehicle. As for the charging infrastructure, I share some of the frustrations. Over here we have quite a few chargers at highway service stations... but they are not marked on the roadside signs that announce service stations! The highway authorities are "working on" getting the signs updated, but seriously, what's to work on? Just get out and do it already. I also have to agree that the satnavs in many of these EVs do not offer the glaringly obvious and rather essential function: give me a charging station along my route. I went with the Kona over the Model 3 because I think it's a better drive and nicer car overall, but Tesla is pretty much the only car manufacturer that understands software, and they've nailed it with their satnav. The apps are getting better though. The Shell Recharge and Maingau apps will show the nr of chargers and how many are occupied for most charging networks (I wonder if Tesla can also do this for networks other than their own?). Plugshare will let you plan a route with charging stops along the way. But all in all, this is all functionality that should have been part of the car from the start. Another thing that Tesla got right: if you're going to build a charging station, you might as well add loads of units. Most other networks have only 1, 2 and sometimes 4 charging points at their locations. It's rare to find one with 4 CCS sockets which is the one you really want these days. What really rocks about an EV is that I leave home every morning with a full "tank". I rarely drive far enough to require a charge along the way, which means I almost never have to stop for gas anymore.

Enjoyed the video and very informative..👍. Mind you from 3:30~3:50 was as dark as S8Ep3 of GOT’s .. 😂

Great review I have the NIRO PHEV and love that too.... would get the EV but my home to Mum & Dads is 230miles.... Reading to Huddersfield.... and 250 Range not enough comfort blanket..... This is a great review. Thx

I would like a full electric car, but will keep my plugin-hybrid until the charging network is good enough or a Tesla becomes half the price.

Minor point: the interior lights don’t stay on long enough to let you do the fiddly things we all do on entering a car. 😐

Really enjoyed the video, very interesting to hear your living with views on the EV charging network, Agree with you 100%, if I was buying an EV, the only manufacturer to go to is Tesla, maybe not the best cars (open for debate), but miles ahead with charging network. Looking forward to more content 👍👍

Very informative and interesting video, Ped. The technology is still very much in it's infancy and it is early days, but it is great to see people getting out there and pushing the envelope, or taking risks so the rest of us don't have to 😆. I sell EV chargers from the likes of Rolec and Curv360 to installers and end-users, and there is a chronic lack of understanding of the products and how they work.....particularly people's expectations regarding charge time and cold weather impact on battery life. It will be interesting to see where we are in 10 years, particularly if in-road induction charging infrastructure is considered.

Excellent video, good to see someone really make the effort to properly use an EV in real life. Again, this shows how far the Mainstream manufacturers are behind Tesla. would love to see you do the same test in a Model 3/S/X.

Nice experience video, thanks. Finding empty chargers is not going to be so easy when there are 10x the amount of EVs on the roads.

Great video and very informative. Really enjoyed it.

Thanks for the video, very interesting. I have been a sceptic about EV's but having watched your video and another recent one by CarWoW I feel that EV's are the future. My wife and I are travelling from Kent to Bristol soon (186 miles) and I would of said that would not be possible in an EV. But seeing your video I think it would be easy with a bit of planning. Thanks again for doing a "real world" test. 👍

Every charging issue you had would have been a lot less with a Tesla - their price is higher as it also gives you a fast, reliable, high capacity, charging network.

By 2030 when all you can buy new will be EV cars like this I can see the used car industry -especially the latest Gen of Diesels- experiencing its biggest boom in history!

Have just ordered the new 4+ I like this video, I am currently building up my list of free and pay stations for the journeys is I’ll be doing, I will be having a home charger installed as well and if I feel the need for speed I’ll break out the bike , which can cut my commute by 20mins as it doesn’t suffer traffic issues :) but there are times when the Niro is going to be the one and this is has helped confirm the range for nicely

A great video, I have had Kia's in the past and found them to be a great little vehicle, I am now looking at the Kia Hybrid, I feel that for the wife and I, this would be the ideal car for us as we are both in our 70s and need something that will keep us safe on British roads,

I don't take road trips so 99% of my charging will be at home and even a trickle charge is probably enough (planning on getting a level 2 eventually though) since my commute is short and i can pretty much drive on 80% charge once a week. For those that drive a lot on road trips or long drives, I agree that EVs are less practical since the infrastructure is not there yet. But for day to day driving, it is great with no range anxiety and lots of savings when you can charge during offpeak hours and great smooth drive. Less maintenance is a huge plus for me too.

Interesting that optimum charging is suggested to be 20%-80%; if manufacturers say that the that should be the range advertised. The government needs to invest in a much better charging infrastructure and that needs to be in place before people will move across in big numbers. Eg. Every parking space in a motorway services needs to be a fast and generic charging point.

Great, informative video! You have a new subscriber!

I've owned a Kia e-Niro since April and I agree with your findings. I regularly get a realistic 250 miles range of mixed driving but energetic motorway driving does impact that range noticeably. The public charging infrastructure is a complete mess at the moment but the UK government has changed the rules so that new chargers have to accept contactless payment from next year. This will help a lot with ease of use. The other aspect of public charging is the variation in the maintenance of chargers. Faulty chargers can remain so for weeks or longer whereas I cannot imagine a petrol pump being left in the same state, especially if it was the only one available as is often the case with chargers. So, I'm extremely happy with the car, it does what I want it to do reliably, but the public charging infrastructure is too limited, slow, complicated and unreliable at present for everyone to comfortably move onto EV driving.

I'd seriously consider an EV myself, but your thoughts on the charging infrastructure are exactly the same as mine.

The range needs to increase for me to buy one .

You can use Polar Instant if you haven’t setup the Polar Plus yet. Very quick to setup on the fly. I phoned the number on the charge station first time out, who told me about Polar Instant to get up and running quickly. Helpline was good, although clearly busy and a little rushed.

Really enjoyed this video! Very useful information about EVs and the charging network. I hope the charging companies can come together and get it sorted (or they get forced to!). Main problem with eNiros is that you can’t get hold of one! I know it’s not your main interest but I hope you will do another EV try out soon - Jaguar iPace perhaps?!

Drove one on Friday, very impressive. Just ordered an MG ZS EV, £11k cheaper, but only 160 mile range (140 in real life).

How much was the cost of the full charge at the Shell Station

Excellent, impartial and accurate review. Well done.

Absolutely agree with your comments on the chargers they should all be contactless which I think they are all planning on doing. Secondly the e Niro gets a face lift for 2020 which should bring with it the latest LED lighting and the sat nav is much improved and larger with full telematics. But what you can do is through Apple CarPlay use the phone and google maps or zap map. Other than that I agree with you it’s a great car so much so I have one on order. Hopefully I should get it 1st quarter of next year. I ordered it in March this year. A good honest video.