Like many other automakers, Kia is driving toward an EV future, and one of Kia’s latest EVs is the EV6. Like with many other EVs, the EV6 will have a lot of benefits compared to gas-powered cars, which is especially true when it comes to the cost of ownership. Here’s a look at the 2022 Kia EV6 and how much its maintenance costs will add up to.

An overview of the 2022 Kia EV6

Despite being a brand-new EV, the EV6 has already impressed many people. It starts at about $40,000 without any incentives with a range of about 310 miles, which is above average compared to other EVs. What’s more impressive is how fast owners can recharge their EV6 in the right conditions.

The EV6 can get over 200 miles of range in just 20 minutes with the proper DC fast charger. The only downside is that not every place has access to those fast chargers, so not every EV6 owner will be able to take advantage of that fast charging time. Another feature not everyone will be able to take advantage of is the EV6’s ability to handle cold climates.

Folks who live in cold climates may know that EVs typically don’t handle winter well. Heating a car can drain the car’s battery, thus reducing its range. This will still happen with the EV6, but Kia gave it a heat pump, which should help reduce how much range it loses during cold climates. Kia also offers the EV6 with an all-wheel drive option, allowing drivers to deal with some bad weather.

How much will EV6 maintenance cost?

According to Kia, maintenance for the EV6 shouldn’t cost that much, especially when compared to conventional cars. Kia wrote, “On average, vehicle owners spend an estimated $3,960 on maintenance over 5 years. For that same 5‑year period, your Kia EV6 will only require around $1,120 in scheduled maintenance, a savings of nearly 72% over gas‑powered vehicles.” 

According to Kia, those cost estimates are based on “internal scheduled maintenance costs as of March 2022.” Regarding what’s included in those costs, it’s mostly the basic stuff such as rotating tires, replenishing the car’s wiper fluid, or checking tire pressure. This is because an EV’s maintenance needs are similar to a regular car’s needs, like tire maintenance.

But in other ways, EVs will save a lot of money as electric motors are more straightforward than an engine block. As Kia wrote, it’s still recommended for owners to take their car in for scheduled maintenance checks. One area where EV customers will have to learn about, though, is maintaining their battery to last longer. Kia advises that drivers keep their battery between 20% to 80% charge, avoid temperature extremes, and avoid charging too much or too often.

Here are the other ways that Kia customers can save money on their EV6

The EV6 should save drivers a lot of money on fuel and maintenance, and there are other ways to save more money, too. For example, Kia partnered with Electrify America to provide EV6 customers with free charging up to a limit. That limit is 1,000 kilowatt-hours.

On top of that, customers can take advantage of the federal EV tax credit. How much money will vary, but it’s worth up to $7,500. Kia customers in a few states, such as California, can also take advantage of additional incentives to lower the price of their EV6.