How Do Plug In Hybrid Niros Get Such Great Gas Mileage?

Most Plug-In Electric Vehicles (PHEV) will cycle the engine on and off between Hybrid Electric Mode (gas engine running) and all Electric Vehicle Mode (all battery propulsion) even when the battery is very low and there shows no more EV range. It is fairly ingenious and I demonstrate it on my 2020 Kia Niro PHEV. With 0 miles of EV range, the Niro PHEV continued to cycle the engine, unknown to me, to save gasoline, resulting in excellent gas mileage on a very windy and mountainous road.

[@PamenterDoug]

I bought a used 2021 PHEV a few months ago. Best car I have ever had. I love how high tech it is, but looks very normal. Lots of flexibility In the two displays, fun to drive… ten times better gas mileage than my previously owned truck.

[@KevinKnauss]

I'd like to upgrade to a pure EV, but I really like the Niro PHEV. It just works. It's comfortable. Drives well. I see no reason to trade it in.

[@Rhaman68]

A bit of correction as to use of the AC. It is electric and the engine is not required for operation. You have mentioned the engine runs to operate the AC a few times. Sorry, not correct. I have the same platform in a 2018 Hyundai Ioniq PHEV. Do this. Activate the car with AC off. Look at the projected EV miles. Select AC. EV range drops by 2 miles. That’s the power needed for the AC. For Heat, the engine does run and cycles Off/On depending on software, battery condition, temperature inside/outside, etc. But needed cooler temps, the AC does not command the engine to run as the AC is electric. Thanks

[@KevinKnauss]

You are correct. I’m assuming that the EV range drops if the AC is on because the large EV battery may be needed to condition the 12 volt battery since the engine is not running - alternator not generating power - and the 12 volt system will become depleted. Thank you for clarifying my misstatement.

[@SergeUnplugged]

thank you very much for a detailed explanation Kevin, looks like a great gas savior indeed !

[@KevinKnauss]

It all depends on how you drive. When my son drives the car his MPG is around 47. When I drive the car on long trips, I can get 57 MPG.

[@Elricky124]

Nice review! I enjoy looking at the battery car. Reminds me of toy cars with batteries but now it makes a great environmental difference.

[@KevinKnauss]

It’s interesting that I treat the Niro PHEV more like any old car I have had in the past after a couple years of ownership. I get home and plug it. The next day, unplug and go. The main difference between the old cars and the Niro is obviously plugging it into the charger and only visiting the gas station every couple of months.

[@Elricky124]

@@KevinKnauss thank you, how is the maintenance cost on this car? Is it more expensive over time, say in the first 100k miles?

[@KevinKnauss]

@@Elricky124 I’m coming on 3 years ownership and all I have had done is oil change and tire rotation. I just do the usual maintenance. I probably could have saved some money on the oil changes as there were times when I had not driven that much. I have less than 25k in miles so far.

[@TheovanderWerff-uz3xi]

I have a 2017 PHEV Niro and I found out that in Sports-mode between 2000-3000 rpm the engine charged the battery to full....

[@KevinKnauss]

I recently read that sport mode will relatively quickly recharge the EV battery. That would be good when the battery is nearly exhausted and you need it to go up a hill. Of course, using expensive gasoline to recharge the battery isn’t the best use of money in most situations.

[@prixat]

That's an amazing piece of engineering. Does it mean you can treat the car like a simple hybrid and never plug it in?

[@KevinKnauss]

Yes, the engine will operate the car and deliver some charge to the battery. The car with only 15% of battery will shut the engine off at a stop light or very slow travel to save fuel, just like a hybrid.

[@jerryharrison4101]

Kevin Kanuss you're gonna force me to buy this car over anything else! I've been looking at Lexus UX, both Toyota Venza, and Rav4, and the Hyundai Tucson Hybrid. So; after looking a mounds of videos, you and Asian Petrolhead have me waiting in anticipation for the arrival of the 2023 Kia Niro plug-in to hit the dealerships. 😁 Peace Out....

[@KevinKnauss]

Those are very nice cars. I guess it is all about priorities when selecting one over the other. Toyota, in particular, has done a stellar job engineering their hybrids. I think Kia has achieved equal success with their hybrid platform because of the solid engineering and performance. There are some trade-offs between the Toyotas and Kias, but I really don’t care if a car goes 0 - 60 mph one second faster over the competition. The Kia price point, for similar trim levels, is better than Toyota. You will be happy.

[@kevinhenry177]

Hey Kevin just wanted to know are the seats comfortable? I suffer from sciatica. I had to get rid of my Toyota Prius because of it. Very interested in purchasing this vehicle. Thanks so much for sharing your videos.

[@KevinKnauss]

I find the seats very comfortable on both short and long trips. The multi-way electric seating adjustments means I can sometimes sit more upright or recline a little. I drove the Niro on a 7 hour trip to Southern California and experienced no discomfort. I attribute part of the comfort on long trips to the automatic cruise control. You turn it on and it keeps your speed and a set distance from the car in front of you. That really helps reduce the fatigue.

[@seanpeacock5595]

My only access at home to charge is an external 120V plug. I’ve seen a whole bunch of opinions on whether the Kia plug is suitable to use outside. Even the Kia dealers have differing thoughts.

[@KevinKnauss]

The transformer that plugs into a 120v wall outlet is just like any other appliance, it does need to be protected from the weather. I'm not so concerned about the handle adapter that plugs into the car, but the transformer near the wall outlet. Even though I have a carport, not a garage, I have placed the transformer into a small plastic carrying case to protect it. You could probably fashion something that was more water tight. The weakest link IS the 120v outlet. It should be properly grounded that includes a GFI.

[@davidnovosad4917]

I just got a new kia niro hybrid and if I drive slow and very carefully I get around 51.5 mpg! What sucks is when you have the car on and not driving the mpg drops as crazy

[@KevinKnauss]

When you say the car is on, do you mean the engine is running? If the engine is running, and consuming fuel, that will hurt your mpg. With hybrids, the engine, in most situations, should shut down when you are stopped. That is a big way they save fuel.

[@davidnovosad4917]

@@KevinKnauss I meant when you start the car and you just sit at for example parking lot... the engine just kept on going and charging the battery and it lowered the mpg by like 3 or 4 mpg but I like the car I just can't have the motor running when I am standing somewhere for like 30 min otherwise I am getting like 57 mpg even if I do it well and half of the drive is just electricity

[@KevinKnauss]

@@davidnovosad4917 Interesting, my PHEV doesn’t idle unless I have the heater on to warm the cabin. The car engine always shuts down at a stop.