I am five days in on my first EV loaner. I’m proud to say I’m not just driving any ol’ EV; I’m lucky enough to be testing the very lovely 2022 Kia EV6 GT-Line. While I’ve loved every second of silently gliding through the summer-green corridors of the Hudson Valley, Dealing with electric cars in America is still a huge pain in the ass. How can that be? 

Is the 2022 Kia EV6 GT-Line a good car? 

No, the new Kia EV is excellent. Again, this was my first time driving an electric car. Once I got over the strangeness of never feeling a gear shift, I quickly fell in love with the EV6 GT. It is quick, very comfortable, agile, and perfectly sized, not to mention it looks like a million bucks. 

The EV6 comes in three trims: the EV6 Light RWD, the Wind RWD, and the GT Line. The model I have is the ​​$52,415 Kia EV6 GT-Line RWD, fitted with a 77.4-kWh battery, getting 225 hp.

Everything from the steering to braking and, of course, the throttle were responsive and sharp. Car & Driver must have thought so, too, because cause they gave it rave reviews. The EV6 is quick and sharp but not harsh in any way. In fact, some friends I took with me on their first EV ride commented many times about how comfortable it was riding, even in the back. 

The interior is also quite lovely. It is simple and open, with minimal buttons. The seats are big and comfortable while also giving our butts some grip in the corners. The simplicity of the interior didn’t feel stark; it felt curated and intentional. I loved it. 

The Kia EV6 GT isn’t perfect 

The EV6 is a joy to drive. Truly. However, a few small tweaks could make it much better. Easily the worst part of the car is the sat nav display. It is impossible to discern where or when a turn might come from. This is pretty inexcusable at this point. 

It may have been a user error, but I couldn’t seem to get the doors unlocked with any sort of grace. The sleek doorhandles unfold once unlocked and become streamlined upon locking. Admittedly, the door handles looked cool, but they quickly became annoying. 

How long does it take to charge the Kia EV6 GT Line

Now, there is another problem, but I want to be clear, this isn’t Kia’s or any other EV’s fault, but charging, at least in America, is still somehow a total nightmare. In the rural areas outside of NYC, there are plenty of Teslas zipping around, which might lead one to believe that EV charging stations are abundant. They are not. 

By the time we finally found a charger for the Kia, there was a farmer’s market in the parking lot, making the charge point inaccessible. While quaint and lovely, the farmer’s market took up one of only two stations in the small town we were in. 

We found the second at a municipal building. There was already a Volvo XC40 P8 charging, meaning only one plug was left. Thankfully, we got it. Excited to see how charging worked; my anxiety was sent to the moon when the charging port wouldn’t allow me to access it without downloading the app and giving the app far too much personal information. This process took 20 mins to figure out while sitting in the blazing sun. 

Finding the charge point, figuring out how to use it, and charing for as long as we could spare the time took over two hours, and we only managed to gain an extra 17 miles of range. Again, the Kia EV6 GT Line is a joy to drive, but who has time for all that? Granted, this wasn’t the hottest, newest charger.

The EV market is finally producing multiple cool cars that are exciting to drive and beautiful to behold, but charging is nowhere near where it should be. EVs are still woefully impractical for the average person. Finding a charger is hard enough as it is. EVs also require a bit of time to charge. Not the best for a day trip. Not to mention you’ll pay a premium for the privilege. 

I was really disappointed by this outcome. How can we have such great tools to combat climate change and no way to implement them into our daily lives? I’m being a little hyperbolic, but the point stands, driving the car is a blast, but owning one is a stressful and frustrating experience. I honestly don’t know anyone in NYC that has the time, energy, or money to fool with an EV at this point. It would require having either tons of time or tons of money. Without these resources, owning an electric car at this point feels like a really cool inconvenience. Honestly, it almost felt like trying to daily an old car, “Maybe I’ll wait to drive it until l really need it…”

Nice job on the car, Kia. Terrible job on everything else surrounding electric cars, America.