Winter Driving Test: 2024 Kia EV9 Road Trip in Cold Weather

How Cold Weather Affects Electric Vehicle Performance

Driving range and charging efficiency are significant concerns for electric vehicle (EV) owners, and these issues become more pronounced when temperatures plummet. The cold can reduce range while increasing charging times, making winter road trips more challenging. To put these factors to the test, we took the 2024 Kia EV9 on a subfreezing Midwest road trip to analyze its range, efficiency, and charging performance.

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The Journey: Chicago to Detroit and Back

The journey covered approximately 600 miles, traveling from Chicago’s northern suburbs to downtown Detroit and back. Typically an easy route for gasoline-powered vehicles, this trip in an EV required meticulous planning to ensure an uninterrupted journey with sufficient charging stops.

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Strategic Planning for an Electric Road Trip

Charging infrastructure is crucial for long-distance EV travel. For this trip, we primarily relied on the Electrify America (EA) network. However, the Kia EV9’s built-in navigation lacked a filter to display only EA charging stations, prompting the use of multiple apps:

• Chargeway: Used to plan charging stops and monitor real-time vehicle data.
• Electrify America App: Checked the availability of chargers along the route.
• Apple Maps: Provided navigation via Apple CarPlay integration.

The Chargeway Plus plan ($5.99/month) enhanced trip planning by incorporating real-time battery state of charge, external temperature, and speed conditions for more accurate range predictions.

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Observing the EV9’s Efficiency in Cold Temperatures

Efficiency varied depending on conditions, with the EV9 averaging between 2.3 to 2.4 miles per kilowatt-hour (kWh) throughout most of the trip. On the final leg, efficiency improved to 2.8 miles per kWh due to slower traffic in snowy conditions.

Maximum Range Between Charging Stops

The farthest distance traveled between charging stations was 176.8 miles, which drained the battery from 90% to 11%. By the time we plugged in, the estimated remaining range was just 21 miles. On other segments, charging occurred every 150-160 miles, maintaining a buffer for peace of mind.

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Fast-Charging Performance and Speed

The EV9 Land model supports up to 210 kW DC fast-charging. Charging observations:

• Two charging sessions occurred at 150-kW stations, achieving speeds up to 160 kW.
• One session was at a 350-kW station, reaching a peak of 197 kW but slowing significantly after 80%.

Notably, the 350-kW charger dramatically reduced speed to 5 kW at 80% battery, reinforcing the recommendation to avoid charging beyond this threshold unless necessary.

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EV Charging Costs During the Trip

Charging expenses varied based on station type and membership plan. Costs ranged from $5.05 to $52.77 per session. However, a charging station glitch resulted in a significant discrepancy. Despite initially reporting only 8.6 kWh added, the charger continued, ultimately delivering 72.8 kWh. Under the chosen EA plan, this session should have cost approximately $43.

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Challenges and Takeaways for Winter EV Road Trips

While the Kia EV9 demonstrated solid winter performance, the journey highlighted several key takeaways:

• Reduced Range in Cold Weather: Expect diminished efficiency compared to summer conditions.
• Frequent Charging Stops: Plan for more stops than a comparable gas-powered road trip.
• Fast-Charging Limitations: Charging past 80% significantly slows down, impacting travel time.
• App Dependence: Native EV navigation often lacks robust trip-planning capabilities.

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Is the Kia EV9 a Reliable EV for Long Winter Trips?

Despite the additional planning and longer charging stops, the 2024 Kia EV9 proved to be a reliable option for extended travel in winter. While it required more effort compared to a gasoline vehicle, it maintained a manageable range and acceptable charging times.

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Final Verdict

EV adoption continues to grow, and winter travel remains one of the biggest concerns for prospective buyers. This road trip demonstrated that with proper planning, even subfreezing temperatures do not make long-distance EV travel impossible. However, improvements in navigation systems and charging infrastructure will further streamline the process for future EV road trips.

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