2020 KIA Niro EV Review

[@EVBrief]

Great, detailed owner review! I just spent a week with one to review, and it totally changed my perception of the car.

[@mynirophev3121]

Unfortunately, I was only able to borrow the Niro EV over a long weekend. I live in an EV dead zone, and the only EVs that were available when I got my Niro PHEV was the LEAF (around the time their battery issues were becoming known) and Bolt EV and neither dealership knew anything about them. The closest Tesla service center is an 300 miles away.

[@EVBrief]

@@mynirophev3121 Thanks for the reply. I missed that in the intro! It's a bit like that in parts of Australia too. Hopefully the IONIQ 5 and Kia EV6 will do a lot to change perceptions of EVs once launched.

[@matty1053]

This is a great review and indepth. I appreciate it. I am going to try and test drive a niro EV when i go take my 2021 K5 into for a oil change.

[@mynirophev3121]

I’m interested to hear what your option is.

[@carloscanizares101]

Thanks for this. Wife and I have the Niro EV as our first choice to entre the EV world.

[@mynirophev3121]

I hope that you enjoy it. It will be a few more years before I can move into a full EV.

[@JH9767]

@@mynirophev3121 what's holding you back?

[@polleyjw]

@@JH9767 money. It’s always money. 😢

[@electricwhirl5175]

Hi, You have a fantastic content in Your channel. What obd2 dongle and app you are using?

[@mynirophev3121]

I got the “Veepeak OBDCheck BLE Bluetooth OBD II Scanner Auto Diagnostic Scan Tool” off Amazon (there is a newer BTLE 4.0 version now). Bluetooth LE devices pair very differently do be sure to follow the included instructions. There are quite a few ODB2 analysis tools and I currently use “Car Scanner” for the iPhone.

[@ricco123tube]

Heat and air conditioning is for the cold months when you need to warm up the cabin but also prevent the windscreen from misting up. TBH auto mode works well but you have the option to override. I nearly bought the electric Niro but decided to go with the phev due to being £11500 cheaper. The full electric certainly holds onto its price, The new Niro should be out next year and I will most likely purchase it at some point. It should be a good step up from this current version. Will you be upgrading?

[@mynirophev3121]

My wife and I alternate new cars, so we only have to manage one car loan, so it will probably be another few years before I can upgrade.

[@sko1beer]

Tbh the new shape looks ugly

[@DavieParkes]

Still using the e-niro?

[@mynirophev3121]

I have a 2019 Niro PHEV right now. It will be a couple of years before I can replace it with an EV. Sorry this response too so long, but KZbin stopped notifying me when comments are made.

[@flashesbuck]

I just picked up a 2020 PHEV. How can I calculate how much electricity actually goes into a charge? I would like to figure out how much it actually costs me to charge my Niro from a full dead battery. My power is about $.051/kw

[@mynirophev3121]

For the PHEV, I use a Kill A Watt meter (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kill_A_Watt) and the EVSE that came with the car, but that only works for 120 volt power. I haven’t found a commercial version for 240 volt systems. When calculating your energy costs, don’t forget to include any service charges that are applied on a per kWh basis. This adds about $0.04/kWh to my electricity costs.

[@mynirophev3121]

One more thing: I would recommend getting an ODB2 reader and an app for your phone that will let you read the battery state. I use a VEPEEK dongle that I connect to via Bluetooth (www.amazon.com/Veepeak-OBDCheck-Bluetooth-Diagnostic-Supports/dp/B073XKQQQW). The charge percentage on the screen isn’t what the battery management system shows.

[@ParagonGarage]

I have a 2021 amazing car love it but the only issue i have is the silver trim along the bottom portion of the dash, it reflects the sun and is just extremely dangerous and takes the fun out driving the car, i have reached out the Kia America but they have yet gave me a solution

[@mynirophev3121]

Gloss trim looks nice in the showroom and in pictures, but it definitely reflects the sun too much. Matte finishes do collect oils, but I think I would rather deal with that.