Kia Niro EV Charging Guide: Charge times, speed and cost

Kia Niro EV Charging Station, Port and Plug Type

The Niro EV charging port uses the CCS standard, which features a combined AC and DC inlet port. The top portion of the inlet is for the Type 2 connector, which is used for AC charging at home, work or at public chargers (e.g. shopping centre car parks).

For public fast/rapid DC charging, both the upper and lower sections on the inlet are used to support the high power output required. The Niro EV CCS charging inlet is found at the front of the vehicle.

The Niro EV can be slow, fast and rapid charged from public charging stations. In most cases:

• Slow charging requires a three-pin to Type 2 cable, usually supplied with the car.
• Public AC charging will feature a tethered Type 2 connector or may require a Type 2 to Type 2 cable.
• Rapid DC charging uses a tethered CCS connector which is part of the charging unit.

1. Find a public charging station for fast and rapid chargers

Plugshare is the easiest way to find any public AC and DC electric vehicle charging station in your area. It displays a map and overall rating of each charger from check-ins and comments.

Additionally, use the charging provider’s app like Chargefox or Evie Networks to view the live availability of stations and check whether a stall may be out-of-action.

2. Connect charging cable to car

Driving up to the charger, ensure that your vehicle’s charging port, located at the front, is nearest to the stall. This may require you to drive in or reverse into the charging spot.

Once parked, grab the appropriate charging connector type from the stall’s holster, open the Niro EV’s charging flap and any other caps, and firmly plug it into the vehicle.

3. Confirm charging has started

Use the charging provider’s mobile app or tap the RFID card on the stall to activate the charging session. You may need to press a start button on some charging stalls, too.

After a few seconds of communicating with the Niro EV, you can see the charging status via the station’s screen, the vehicle’s driver instrument display, or the mobile app.

Slow AC Charging (level 1,2) - Home/Business

Slow AC charging, also referred to as level 1 or 2, is typically done at home, work or shopping centre car parks.

The Niro EV is capable of charging at a maximum of 11 kW with its onboard charger, however, this requires a three-phase power supply and charger, typically found at public car parks or business premises. The power supply in homes is likely single phase, meaning the maximum power you can draw from the onboard charger is ~7 kW.

The following table shows the estimated time to fully charge (0 to 100%) an Niro EV across different AC chargers. Fully charging a Niro EV using a portable charger and a standard 10A power point will take 30 hours. This can be cut down to less than 10 hours if the power source is upgraded to 32A.

Fast/Rapid DC Charging (level 3) - Public

The following tables show the estimated time to charge the Niro EV using fast/rapid DC charging. The Niro EV can support maximum DC charging of 84 kW, chargers with higher output than this will be throttled to this limit.

It is recommended to limit the charging at rapid chargers to 80% to preserve battery health.

Note that the times shown are only a guide only. Other factors that might vary the actual charging time of your car. For personalised estimates of the Niro EV, use the zecar EV charging calculator.

The below tables show the estimated cost of charging the Niro EV's 64.8 kWh battery at home using a standard flat tariff or a public fast DC charger.

Based on these figures, the Niro EV’s fuel costs are $3.9-$9.4 per 100 km, depending on the type of charging. In general, home charging provides the cheapest per kilometre cost and public rapid charging tends to be around double the cost (per charge and per kilometre). This compares favourably to an equivalent petrol car which would cost $15 per 100km, assuming $2/litre for petrol.

Use the zecar EV charging calculator to find the cost and times to charge any EV using any charge method. The results can be personalised for different electricity costs and the level of charge required.

The Niro EV's battery pack comprises the NMC chemistry. The recommended upper limit for daily use is 90%, this will minimise degradation and preserve the longevity of the battery. The charging limit can be set on the main infotainment screen.

Occasional charging of the battery to 100% to maximise the car's range for longer trips should not cause significant degradation of the battery.

The Niro EV is compatible with almost all portable and wall-mounted chargers equipped with a type 2 plug. It comes with a portable charging cable, which can be used on any Australian domestic powerpoint

For faster charging speeds, you may want to consider a wall-mounted charger to reach the maximum 11 kW charge rate the Niro EV is capable of.

Home charging while taking longer will likely result in less degradation.

Electric Car Home Charging Guide

The Kia Niro EV can be charged using all the major charging networks including some Tesla Superchargers and some select Tesla destination chargers.

Refer to this guide for all the key public charging providers including links to app downloads.

Excessive use of fast charging may accelerate the degradation of the battery due to the heat caused by fast charging.

Yes, Kia Niro EV's can charge at some Tesla Supercharger sites. As of the latest update to this article, Tesla has opened up 30 of its 63 Supercharger sites in Australia to non-Tesla EVs.

Non-Tesla vehicles will be charged $0.79 per kWh for drivers of non-Tesla cars However, non-Tesla drivers can sign up to a $9.99/month subscription to reduce the cost to $0.66 per kWh.

➡️TRY: EV Charging Calculator

Tesla supercharger sites can be accessed by non-Tesla EVs via the Tesla apps.

• Download the Tesla app (version 4.18.0 or higher) for iOS or Android and create a Tesla Account.
• Select ‘Charge Your Non-Tesla’ and find your Supercharger site.
• Add your payment method, select a stall, unlock the adapter, plug in your car, and tap ‘Start Charging.’
• Select ‘Stop Charging’ to complete your session.

The Kia Niro EV is about average when it comes to charging speed. It ranks middle of the pack when it comes to charging speeds compared to other electric cars. It provides above-average speeds for AC chargers and average DC fast chargers. Check out our fastest charging car list to see how the Niro EV ranks against its peers.

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