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It’s not day-after-day {that a} publish in an EV house owners’ group sparks real admiration and well mannered disbelief in equal measure, however a couple of days in the past, a member named SightSee EV did simply that. Whereas some EV6 house owners wrestle with warning lights, flatbed tows, or lengthy waits on the dealership, he shared what many would name an outlier expertise: almost 75,000 miles of problem-free electrical driving. And it didn’t include an extended record of repairs or guarantee calls, simply three routine replacements – certainly one of them a voluntary improve.
SightSee EV wrote the next within the Kia EV6 Homeowners USA public Fb group:
“I’m completely satisfied to report that I’m about to cross 75,000 miles with zero issues. Changed the 12 volt at 38,000 miles with an upgraded model with 5 yr guarantee. Apart from new tires at 54,000 and new wipers I’ve had no issues. We now have pushed from Mexico to Canada and a large swatch of the mid west.”
That type of assertion can cease a reader chilly, particularly given the quantity of homeowners in the identical group reporting all the things from bricked autos to ICCU failures and long-term vendor limbo. SightSee’s publish was met with reward and even somewhat envy, as one member, Barry Schader, replied:
“Congratulations! Mine has about 11k miles and went useless 103 days in the past. It is sitting on the vendor’s lot and I’ve acquired a Chevy Malibu rental.”
These two experiences couldn’t be extra totally different. One driver is quietly crossing state and worldwide borders with no points. One other is on day 103 with out his EV6, counting on a rental and ready for vendor decision. And this distinction raises a deeper query: Is this type of long-term EV reliability uncommon, or simply underreported?
An EV6 That Simply Works: The Worth of Proactive Upkeep
One refined but vital element in SightSee’s publish is his 12-volt battery substitute at 38,000 miles. This isn’t at all times a reactive restore. Many homeowners within the EV group have began proactively swapping the factory-installed 12V battery for higher-quality AGM or lithium alternate options with longer warranties, particularly after listening to tales like this one the place a useless 12V stranded an EV6 after simply 11,500 miles.
For EVs, the standard 12-volt battery is the gatekeeper for startup, charging handshake, and even fundamental automobile communications. If it dies, your $50,000 automobile could act like a brick. SightSee’s expertise means that changing it earlier than it fails might be one of the vital missed steps towards long-term peace of thoughts.
Add to {that a} set of recent tires and recent wipers, and also you’re a really regular service historical past: one thing you’d anticipate from a well-kept Camry, not a cutting-edge electrical crossover.
The Lengthy-Distance Story EV6 Critics Don’t Usually Hear
One other a part of SightSee EV’s expertise value highlighting is simply how far and extensive he’s pushed the automobile: from Mexico to Canada and all through the Midwest, with out problem. For these interested by how the EV6 performs throughout lengthy highway journeys, that may sound like an anomaly. However others have examined the EV6 over lengthy distances and walked away with attention-grabbing, and at instances shocking, outcomes.
Torque Information contributor Noah Washington lately reported a narrative, by which one EV6 proprietor took a 400-mile journey in an EV6 and in contrast driving at 65 mph versus 80 mph. The shocking end result? Regardless of consuming extra vitality at 80 mph, he saved virtually a full hour of drive time. In different phrases, in case you plan and perceive your EV’s habits, long-distance driving is usually a sturdy level, not a weak point.
For SightSee EV, this implies over 70,000 miles of highway familiarity and confidence. However the broader reality is that not all house owners have had that easy of a journey.
The EV6 Possession Hole: When Issues Go Flawed and Keep Flawed
As inspiring as SightSee EV’s story is, it solely tells half the story. For some house owners, the expertise has been extra irritating than releasing. Take the case of Chris Patterson, who at 20,000 miles acquired a “Cease the automobile and examine energy provide” warning on his EV6. After AAA misdiagnosed it as a battery problem and $250 later, the automobile needed to be flatbed towed to a Kia vendor, the place he was informed they’d by no means changed that specific $2,100 half earlier than.
The story didn’t finish there. Chris was given a loaner, which had a flat tire the second he drove it away. Then one other loaner. The vendor needed to ship somebody to choose up a clip from one other location. His story is a reminder that even an excellent EV design can’t outpace an unprepared service division.
In much more excessive instances, like with the Kia EV9, a Torque Information report documented a $65,000 EV9 sitting untouched at a dealership since December 2nd, allegedly over a rat and painfully gradual vendor response.
What We Can Be taught From Excessive-Mileage Homeowners Like SightSee EV
SightSee EV’s success story is greater than only a feel-good publish. It’s a blueprint for sensible EV possession. He didn’t watch for issues to fail. He upgraded earlier than bother began. He didn’t assume EVs are magic, maintenance-free pods. He did the little issues that matter, like staying forward of battery points and monitoring tire put on.
His story additionally exhibits that consistency and care could quietly beat the chances, even when the web boards typically highlight the worst-case situations.
The ethical right here? When you personal or are purchasing for an EV6, your expertise could also be higher than you anticipate, however provided that you respect the expertise, keep engaged, and don’t deal with routine upkeep as elective simply because there isn’t any oil change.
Sensible Steps to Preserve Your Kia EV6 Dependable Previous 75,000 Miles
SightSee EV’s success might sound uncommon, nevertheless it’s additionally repeatable. If you’d like your EV6 to go the space with minimal drama, listed here are a couple of good steps you possibly can take, impressed instantly by his expertise and what different house owners have discovered the onerous manner:
- Exchange your 12V battery proactively round 30,000 to 40,000 miles. Contemplate selecting a higher-quality AGM or lithium battery with an extended guarantee.
- Verify tire put on and rotate constantly. Whereas tires are anticipated to wear down, uneven put on will also be an indication of alignment or suspension points growing early.
- Replace your software program often on the vendor or through over-the-air updates when obtainable. These updates typically embrace important fixes for ICCU logic, cost habits, and thermal administration.
- Drive and cost reasonably. Keep away from frequent DC quick charging except vital, and don’t at all times cost to one hundred pc except you’re road-tripping.
- Preserve information and log patterns. If something uncommon occurs – even briefly – write it down. This helps you describe points higher and spot early warning indicators.
You may also need to use a fundamental OBD-II reader with EV diagnostic apps to watch your battery’s well being and charging stats. Some house owners who took this step noticed low cell voltages or irregular present draw earlier than any warning lights got here on. These are small habits, however over time, they are often the distinction between a quiet 75,000-mile journey and a 103-day dealership nightmare.
Have you ever needed to exchange your 12-volt battery in an EV sooner than anticipated, or have you ever made any upgrades that improved your EV’s reliability? How has your EV6 or EV9 held up throughout long-distance journeys? Share your expertise within the feedback beneath.
Armen Hareyan is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Torque Information. He based TorqueNews.com in 2010, which since then has been publishing knowledgeable information and evaluation in regards to the automotive trade. He might be reached at Torque Information Twitter, Fb, Linkedin, and Youtube. He has greater than a decade of experience within the automotive trade with a particular curiosity in Tesla and electrical autos.
Picture supply: SightSee EV’s Kia EV6 picture from the above-mentioned public group on Fb and used for news-reporting function. The second picture is by Armen Hareyan.
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