Charge to 100% and you should make it easily unless you drive like a crazy person.

 

I think our cars only charge at 65 kw and that's under ideal conditions. Don't bother trying to charge to 100 at a DC charger. The last 20% will take as long as the first 80%.

 

Specifications say Level 3 fast charge 10-80% 43 min (350kW);45 min (100kW); 1 hour 5 minutes (50kW)

 

The reason you only got 49kw out of a 350kw charger is because it was 4 degrees out. The max charge rate for the Niro is 80 kw ,(not 65 that I indicated above). On a 350 kw charger it's going to be limited by the car to 80 kw and that's if conditions are perfect.

 

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.

 

True, while cold charging is not fast.... from what I've seen

 

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.

 

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.

 

Pre-conditionsing, seems to only be if it's got the 'fast' charging .... that being said, not 'all' vehicles do that... maybe most will eventually... 8)

 

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%. Battery Conditioning Mode was checked. This is the first time I looked at the BCM. Is it possible that changing the dc % turned BCM on? If so, I drove all winter in Edmonton with it off. I am going to test again today. I will make sure BCM is checked. I will use a different charger (6 on site)

 

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

 

Update on my first long distance trip. Thursday night, I charged my Niro to 100% on my home class 2 charger. Friday morning (Temp 18C) we headed from Edmonton to Calgary (270km) and recharged in Calgary with a DC 150 kM charger by Electrify Canada, owned by Electrify America. Maximum charge rate 68:00 kW. Needed 40.4 kWh to get to 80%. Took 45 minutes. Charging price $0.70/kWh CDN pre-tax.
Discovered that the hotel we stayed in had 4 class 2 chargers installed last week. Plugged in last night and charged to 100%. Charged 32.14 kWh in 5hr 5Min. charged. Cost $12.45. Traveled back to Edmonton today (Temp 4C). Used the nav system to return home. Got directed to a fast charger half way back to Edmonton and added 15.5 kW to system. Took 22 minutes. Cost $13.37

 

Max charge rate under more or less ideal conditions (closer to 20C/70F) is 80kW, so you won't get anywhere near 350kW rate (not that it matters that much since the battery is just under 65kWh total).

For DC fast charging, the rate when charging from 10-20% to around 60% will be the fasted (again under ideal conditions). Past 80%, the charge rate will slow dramatically in order to preserve battery health (mainly due to excessive heat buildup, which is bad, but also DC fast charging at higher voltages/amperages near full charge promotes formation of dendrites faster too, which is also bad in the long run). This is a limitation of basically all modern battery chemistries right now, so it's in no way unique to the Niro EV.

For road trips, start out at 100% charge from Level 2, then plan to only top off up to 80-ish% while actually on the road using Level 3 chargers.