Hello everyone, I live in the Bay Area, CA and just picked up a Kia Niro EV a couple weeks ago. So far I am loving it! Compared to our old car (a 10-year-old Pontiac Vibe), it's a huge upgrade! After driving it for a couple weeks, I cannot ever imagine going back to an ICE car. The smell of burning gasoline is now nauseating to me. The only confusing part was figuring out a charging strategy. Apparently, you're not really supposed to charge to 100% unless you actually need it for a long trip. I'm planning on driving it until around 20-30% and charging it up to 80%. I have also experienced some flakiness with Android Auto, but after restarting my phone a couple times it seems to have started working again. Looking forward to chatting with other Niro owners!
Thanks for sharing! That charging strategy should work fine. I think some manufacturers recommend charging to 100% once a month or so, even if you don't really need it. Does it live in the driveway or do you have a garage space for it?
Welcome to the forum! We just upgraded from our 16 year old Pontiac Vibe - actually we still have the Vibe, as my daughter is learning how to drive the car that we drove her home from the hospital in when she was born. Apart from the ICE part, I love that car - totally functional, could haul 8' lumber inside with the seats folded, add a cargo box on the roof rack for camping trips, and still running strong after 180,000 miles. One thing that attracted me to the Niro is that the form factor is nearly identical. I still see a surprising number of Vibes in the Bay Area - they never strayed very far from their birthplace at NuMi in Fremont... You've probably seen the thread on charging levels by now... Have you signed up with PG&E for the EV rate yet?
Welcome, it's a great car. Tip: If you tap the left paddle while your foot is not on the brake, you can cycle to lower brake regen, right side less brake regen. This video below says Telsa but it applies to all EV vehicles.
Has anyone figured out yet how to change the default regen level (when the car is started) from Level 2 to Level 3?
We currently have a garage space for it, although we are moving to the south bay in a few months and may not have one any more. Not yet actually. My employer (one of the big tech companies) provides some free charging stations, and so far I've been able to charge using those. However, I'm considering getting a portable level 2 charger (they're around $300 right now), and just set up a NEMA 14-50 wherever I end up.
No, Not that I have read, regen is very minor recapture. The lower level 3 is more regen and it helps save your brake pads.
