Aussie electric vehicle (EV) owner interview – I spoke with Jan about their purchase of a Kia EV6 GT-Line 2022 and experience driving, servicing, charging etc.
EDITOR: I’m publishing a regular series of articles with the views of Australian EV owners about their EV ownership experience.
This will help fill an information gap as the majority of electric car news articles are about new car launches and there’s relatively little published about the longer term Australian ownership experience after you’ve paid for your electric car. Hopefully this shared information helps other Aussies make their own EV purchase decision.
Was your electric car bought or leased?
Bought new.
Please describe your purchasing / lease process experience … Easy, Mediocre, Frustrating..?
I was looking to buy an EV6 and Kia Hoppers Crossing received this car.
I drove straight over, looked at the car and paid a deposit on the spot.
What has the regular servicing / dealership experience been like?
Very easy.
How do you regularly charge your car for day to day usage?
I plug in to a specially installed faster EV charger at home.
What has your day to day normal charging experience been like?
Installed a 3 phase charger at home, was charging off peak – over night, as was getting a premium 66c / kW solar feed-in tariff.
Upgraded solar, now charge after 10am to use whatever solar is available.
How do you charge your car for longer road trips on the weekend or during holidays? Do you prefer any particular brand of public fast charger during road trips eg Evie, Tesla, Chargefox and why?
We use Chargefox and have a card. It was just easier on the trips we have done.
What’s the farthest road trip you’ve done in your EV and what did you learn from this experience that would be useful for others to know?
We drove to Horsham as a test, charged in Ballarat and then in Horsham, Ballarat again on the way home.
Second charge in Ballarat was after 5pm and cost more the the 2 earlier charges combined.
EDITOR: I’m not sure why Jan was charged much more for the 2nd charge at Ballarat as it has fixed prices 24/7.
Does your EV have any special features like V2L reverse charging from the car to your portable/home appliances? If yes please share your experience using this special feature
We do have the ability to take 240V AC from the car but have never used it.
If you have roadside assist included with the car purchase/lease and have had to use it, which company provided the service and what was that experience like?
Kia has roadside assist but we have not needed to use it.
If you have had issues with your car and asked for these to be fixed under warranty, did the car brand do the right thing and fix it without causing you stress?
No issues.
What are the 3 strongest aspects of your electric car compared to other similar price electric cars available in Australia?
Style, Room, Dash layout, not made in China.
What are the 3 weakest aspects of your electric car compared to other similar price electric cars available in Australia?
I think it is the best EV in Australia.
Would you buy or lease this brand of electric car again and recommend it to others?
Yes.
Do you have any other comments about your electric car brand, experience etc?
We love the KIA EV6, the only minor issue is that there is no spare wheel.
Picked up a lump of steel in a rear tyre and the flat repair kit could not handle the amount of air loss.
The repair kit replacement cost was over $300 and is setup to be a use once only.
I removed the bottle from the kit and flushed the pump, purchased a replacement bottle of sealant from the UK for about $50.
If you’re an Australian electric vehicle owner and would like to participate in this interview series by sharing your experience please contact me directly or add a comment below and let me know.
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