The 2022 Kia EV6 just set a Guinness World Record, and it’s just the latest piece of information that makes us all realize that Kia is doing some really cool things with electric vehicles. The new record involves the electric SUV driving across the country with the shortest amount of charging time. That’s obviously going to be a huge selling point for those with range anxiety, which is the fear of running out of fuel in an electric car. What else does the 2022 Kia EV6 Guinness World Record mean for this new electric SUV?

The 2022 Kia EV6 is now a Guinness World Record holder

The 2022 Kia EV6 just set a Guinness World Record. That record is for driving across the country with the shortest charging time of any electric SUV. It’s possible that other electric vehicle manufacturers will try to compete with the 2022 Kia EV6’s new record, but the EV6 will be the record holder, at least for the time being. Before the 2022 Kia EV6 won the title, it was held by Tesla.

To win the Guinness World Record, Kia drove the 2022 Kia EV6 from New York City to Los Angeles, according to CarScoops. It took them seven days to make the trip. It was a total of 2,880.5 miles. The 2022 EV6 was only plugged in for 7 hours, 10 minutes, and 1 second of that entire trip. That works out to just barely over an hour a day, which is pretty incredible for a journey that length. It’s much faster than the previous record-holder, Tesla’s time. Tesla’s record time was 12 hours, 48 minutes, and 19 seconds.

What is the Kia EV6 range?

The range for the Kia EV6 Long Range AWD is 250-270 miles on a single charge. However, if you opt for the Kia EV6 Long Range RWD, that number becomes 300 miles per single charge. Although the closest Tesla competitor to the Kia EV6, the Tesla Model Y, has a longer range, its charging time did not beat the EV6’s charging time. The 2022 Tesla Model Y’s range is 330 miles for the long-range, and 303 miles for the Performance model.

When is the Kia EV6 release date?

The 2022 Kia EV6 should start being delivered in early 2022. Yet Kia isn’t making a ton of the Kia EV6 right now. Plus, they aren’t available in all states at this time. Given the current automotive climate – there are few vehicles ready for purchase, and little bargaining room for consumers – some Kia dealers are charging way over MSRP for the Kia EV6. 

The 2022 Kia EV6 price starts at about $58,500. This price doesn’t include the $7,500 tax credit, which the 2022 Kia EV6 is eligible for. The fact that Tesla is not available for the entirety of that tax credit will certainly help the Kia EV6 beyond just being a Guinness World Record holder.

As electric SUVs become more plentiful and car manufacturers start putting out more of them, we’re going to see some interesting ways that car companies try to prove that theirs is the best. With the 2022 EV6’s new Guinness World Record-holder status, it’s possible that more people will be drawn to this electric SUV newcomer than they would have otherwise. However, it’s too soon to see how much of an impact that may have on EV6 sales.