[atc98092]

Charged for 37:32 minutes for 26.8184 kW. Maximum charging rate 49.00kW. Temperature was 4C (40F)
Why am I only getting 49kW out of a 350kW charger?

Temperatures greatly affect DC charging speeds. For that temp you're pretty much in the ballpark.

I think our cars only charge at 65 kw

The Niro can charge into the low-mid 80kW, but as you mention that's under ideal conditions.

@Rick Hernder DC charging differs from Level 2 AC charging in one significant way. When charging at Level 2 speeds, the charge rate remains almost flat from 0-100%, so the time it takes is quite linear. However, DC charging is not flat, and every EV has a different charging curve. But while every EV differs in this respect, they are all the same in that after around reaching 80% the charging rates drops significantly. This is one of the reasons that it is recommended to only charge to 80% at a DC station, as going higher greatly increases the time it takes to finish. The Kia EV6 can charge 10-80% in 18 minutes, but the last 20% could easily double that amount of time.

 

[atc98092]

And people need to remember that it's not necessarily the outside temp that is the issue. The internal battery temp is what needs to be in the "sweet spot" for maximum charging speed, along with the battery state of charge being around 20%, which is a second sweet spot for charging. The Niro does not have battery preconditioning like some EVs do, so it cannot ensure the battery is at the optimum temp for fastest charging.

 

[atc98092]

My Niro has battery preconditioning (2024). I think it depends on if you have the cold weather package. All Canadian gen 2 Niro's do.

Good to hear they finally added it. I'm not certain the US models do, as they do sometimes differ between the two countries.

 

[atc98092]

I changed DC charging level to 100% when I arrived at the charging station. I was surprised that it would take over 1 hour to charge to 80%.

You didn't state at your charge level was when you started charging, although your first post did say 20%. I would say 20-100% in an hour is pretty much exactly what I would expect for a Niro, especially with colder temps. Remember, after you reach about 75% the charging rate will drop rapidly. If you were using the Niro navigation to a DC charger, that might have activated the BCM.

I found this charging curve on the web. You can see the severe dropoff just before 70%, and even more at 80%:

Kia Niro EV charging curve & performance | EVKX.net

Below is the charging curve for Kia Niro EV, illustrating the charging speed at various battery levels. Additionally, graphs for range and time provide comprehensive details on charging performance.

evkx.net