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There’s a quiet assumption behind the wheel of most electrical autos, that slower is at all times higher. Higher for vary, for effectivity, for nerves. And whereas that’s nonetheless largely true, a rising physique of knowledge from real-world EV homeowners means that the time-versus-speed equation isn’t so simple as it was.
Can Driving Quicker and Extremely-Quick Charging Shorten EV Street Journeys?
With ultra-fast charging and evolving infrastructure, there are circumstances, not suggestions, the place touring at larger speeds might end in shorter total journey instances. This isn’t to advertise dashing; it’s about exploring how electrification is subtly altering the way in which long-distance journey works.
One Redditor summed it up fantastically:
“When the subject of vary comes up, there’s at all times dialogue about driving 70 vs. 80 and the way a lot additional you can drive on a single cost. And it is true, the effectivity drop is non-linear, so 70 to 75 loses extra vary than 65 to 70.
Nonetheless, what I believe will get misplaced on this dialog is that the factor most individuals care about on street journeys is just not the effectivity or uncooked variety of stops, however slightly time to vacation spot. DCFC is turning into more and more extra frequent, and so long as you do not have to exit of your method and have first rate charging speeds, you may save a big period of time by going 80 vs attempting to hypermile to keep away from stopping.
To offer an instance, as an instance you might be driving a car that fees at 100 kW on common, and let’s take the 2 conditions of chilling at 65 mph vs. dashing at 80 mph, over the course of a 500 mile journey. I will be very beneficiant to the slowpoke and say that at 65 mph you may get 4 miles/kWh, whereas at 80 you solely get 2 miles/kWh, and also you begin by leaving residence at 0% (simply so we do not have to deduct an arbitrary quantity of charging time from each). Placing this into desk type:
Even should you add in a flat 5 minutes per cease to get to the charging spot and get cost sorted, it is nonetheless clear that dashing beats going gradual. Plus, these numbers are exaggerated already in favor of the slower pace, and it nonetheless loses (my private numbers are 3.4 mi/kWh at 65 mph and ~2.5 mi/kwh at 80, at the very least in good climate). There is a little bit of calculus concerned in figuring out the optimum driving pace for the reason that particular relationship between your pace and effectivity is vital to the calculation, however in virtually each state of affairs I may plug into that calculation above, driving 80 got here out forward on time.
Now, you’ll pay extra, however I would gladly pay an additional $20 to get to my vacation spot an hour sooner.
Edit: Fastened the desk. It was combined up initially, and made the precise reverse level of what I used to be attempting to say. Sorry!
Edit2: Because it apparently must be mentioned, I don’t advocate actually driving 80 mph. If it can save you time driving 80, it’s also possible to save time at 75 or 70, even within the worst-case state of affairs I outlined of extreme effectivity loss and comparatively gradual charging speeds.
Edit3: To offer an precise state of affairs from actuality, listed below are the stats for my EV6 from a driving the identical pace for like ~50 miles at a time on a current roadtrip. I rounded a couple of numbers, however that is very near “actual information”. Left at close to 100%, so I am subtracting the cost time. Whole journey miles was 400, and cost pace was one thing like 180 kW. I am not going to issue within the beginning cost, however you possibly can subtract ~half-hour from the cost and whole instances if you wish to be pedantic.
So in my state of affairs, there’s virtually an hour of hypothetical financial savings, at the price of 50 kWh, which is about $20. Once more, I am not recommending you drive 80 usually, simply that you just needn’t drive slower simply because it is an EV.” – chilidoggo, Reddit
That quote comes from a Reddit person who lately broke down their street journey expertise in a Kia EV6. At 80 mph, the journey took 5.9 hours and consumed 167 kWh. At 65 mph, it stretched to six.75 hours however solely used 118 kWh. The sooner tempo shaved off almost an hour of journey time however got here with a roughly $20 premium in electrical energy.
It’s not a definitive argument for driving sooner, it’s a situational commentary. In autos with quick charging functionality, the additional time spent recharging is perhaps offset by larger cruising speeds, relying on situations.
Actual-World Infrastructure Hurdles for EV Quick Charging Reliability
- Excessive-power DC quick chargers (150–400 miles/hr equal) can usually refill an EV from 10 % to 80 % in about 30–60 minutes. Most fashions high up roughly 100 miles in 30–35 minutes
- EV road-trippers typically schedule charging stops each ~3 hours (or ~200–250 miles) to match battery absorption charges and driver fatigue patterns.
- For environment friendly pit stops, drivers are likely to cost for about 15–25 minutes, roughly the time wanted for restroom breaks, snacks, stretching, and topping off cost curves .
- If utilizing primarily Stage 2 chargers or stopping for a full meal, pauses can lengthen to 30 minutes (fast meals) or 45–60 minutes (sit-down eating places), partially relying on slower charging charges.
Supporting this concept is an in depth breakdown of the Ford F-150 Lightning’s efficiency over a 1,000-mile journey. At 75 mph, the Lightning made it in 16.58 hours with 4 charging stops.
At 70 mph, it took simply 5 minutes longer, however required solely three stops. Right here, once more, we see a tradeoff. Barely decrease speeds can scale back the variety of charging breaks with out including a lot to the clock. However every car is totally different, and as one commenter well famous,
“Every car may have its personal optimum pace.”
It’s not about pace for pace’s sake; it’s about understanding how your EV behaves on lengthy hauls.
Why the Kia EV6’s 800V Structure Revolutionizes Lengthy-Distance Journey
Nonetheless, there are real-world variables that complicate these theoretical positive factors. As u/s6511 identified,
“There’s a little bit of threat with an EV charger being in use, partly operational, or not operational.”
Even Tesla homeowners have sometimes discovered themselves in tough conditions when charging stations have been unavailable or below restore.
One person recalled being stranded as a result of the one accessible Supercharger in vary was offline, leaving them to observe a working charger they couldn’t use. These hiccups remind us that even when a sooner tempo works on paper, execution relies upon closely on infrastructure reliability.
Key EV Charging Cease Methods for Environment friendly Street Journeys
In that context, the Kia EV6 stands out. It’s one of many few EVs that may make this time-vs-speed dialogue significant because of its 800-volt structure and high-speed charging functionality, typically topping 200 kW in supreme situations. Kia claims it might probably cost from 10% to 80% in round 18 minutes, and unbiased testing has proven that this efficiency is constant. With that type of pace, the penalty for stopping turns into much less of a burden, and journey planning turns into extra versatile.
That mentioned, the price of effectivity continues to be actual. The Reddit person’s sooner 80 mph journey burned by means of 50 kWh greater than the 65 mph run in most public charging networks, which interprets to about $20. For some, that’s a simple trade-off for an hour saved.
For others, notably these with tighter budgets or entry to cheaper residence charging, it may not be value it. The important thing takeaway isn’t that one method is best, it’s that you just now have the choice to tailor your technique primarily based on the capabilities of your car and your journey targets.
2025 Kia EV6 Specs: Battery, Value, and Efficiency Highlights
- The refreshed 2025 EV6 presents upgraded battery choices, 63 kWh for normal fashions and as much as 84 kWh for long-range trims. Kia claims the rear‑wheel-drive lengthy‑vary model now achieves round 319 miles per cost
- U.S. costs begin round $42,900 for the bottom Gentle RWD, rising to roughly $63,800 for the GT efficiency variant, plus a vacation spot price (~$1,475)
- Constructed on the E‑GMP structure (shared with the Ioniq 5), the EV6 helps DC fast-charging at as much as 240 kW and electrical outputs starting from ~125 kW in entry trims to as a lot as 430 kW (roughly 576 hp) within the GT
- Its major rivals embody the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Chevy Bolt EUV, Ford Mustang Mach‑E, Tesla Mannequin Y, Volkswagen ID 4, and luxurious fashions just like the Volvo EX40/C40 and Mercedes EQA. The EV6 typically stands out for superior cost pace, vary, and driving dynamics
However let’s not get forward of ourselves. As mmiggs commented, even below supreme situations, the distinction in whole journey time could be modest, typically simply 12 minutes over a full day of driving.
And as additionally they famous, EVs nonetheless path gasoline autos with regards to total journey pace, particularly when infrastructure is inconsistent. In a single instance, an EV driver arrived greater than two hours behind their sibling driving an ICE car over the identical route.
The rising information means that conventional driving habits may have some rethinking within the EV period. Slower speeds might protect vary, however they don’t at all times protect time. And for autos just like the Kia EV6, with a powerful charging curve and real-world effectivity, it might typically be extra sensible, not essentially smarter or safer, to drive at average freeway speeds and benefit from speedy charging alongside the way in which.
Will this transformation the way in which you drive your EV? At what speeds is your automobile most effective?
Tell us within the feedback under.
Picture Sources: Kia Newsroom
Noah Washington is an automotive journalist primarily based in Atlanta, Georgia. He enjoys masking the newest information within the automotive business and conducting critiques on the newest automobiles. He has been within the automotive business since 15 years outdated and has been featured in distinguished automotive information websites. You’ll be able to attain him on X and LinkedIn for ideas and to observe his automotive protection.
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