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South Korean automaker Kia has plenty of competitve gas-powered SUV models on the market, but what about electric vehicles? Today, most popular automakers are developing and rolling out electric vehicles as the industry shifts to more sustainable fuel sources. Some automakers have already announced plans to go fully electric in the decades to come. Is Kia’s first electric SUV, the 2022 Kia EV6, worth buying, or is Kia just trying to keep up with the times?

How much does the 2022 Kia EV6 cost?

A gray 2022 Kia EV6 is on display.
The 2022 Kia EV6 is on display | Clive Brunskill/Getty Images for Kia

The 2022 Kia EV6 starts at $40,900. It comes in three different trim levels: Light, Wind, and GT-Line. The Wind model starts at $47,000. The final GT-Line trim starts at $51,200.

The Kia EV6 is eligible for a federal electric vehicle tax credit of $7,500. This tax incentive brings its starting price down to just $33,400. Kia’s electric SUV may seem expensive, but after incentives, the electric vehicle’s pricing is very competitive.

How long does it take to charge a Kia EV6?

One of the many reasons that Americans struggle to make the switch from gas-powered to electric vehicles is that gas-powered vehicles are more practical. Vehicles with internal combustion engines are more practical because there is already a huge network of refueling infrastructure set up for gas automobiles. Vehicles have been running on gasoline and diesel for decades.

Electric vehicles are still in their infancy, and EV charging infrastructure isn’t widespread enough to be practical for many consumers. Another reason why Americans tend to avoid electric vehicles is because of how long it takes them to refuel. Early electric vehicles took hours to charge. Some EVs without fast-charging capability still can take hours to charge.

The 2022 Kia EV6 is one of the few electric vehicles on the market with fast-charging capability. Kia claims that the EV6’s battery capacity can climb from 10%-80% in just 18 minutes when drivers charge the electric SUV with a 350-kilowatt charger. By that logic, drivers should be able to fully charge a Kia EV6 in just under 30 minutes using a powerful fast-charger.

While 30 minutes of refueling is much longer than the time it takes to fill up most gas tanks, 30 minutes is a huge improvement from the hours it took to charge earlier electric vehicles. The Kia EV6’s charge time is remarkable, but its range is even more spectacular.

How far can the 2022 Kia EV6 drive on a full charge?

According to Road Show by CNET, the 2022 Kia EV6 base model has 232 miles of range. Large battery pack models have 310 miles of range. Today, competitive electric SUV models have between 200 and 250 miles of range.

The EV6 has the makings of an incredible electric SUV model because of its styling, pricing, and range. Is the 2022 Kia EV6 the best new electric SUV?

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