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There’s a quiet assumption behind the wheel of most electrical automobiles, 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 information 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 instances, not suggestions, the place touring at larger speeds might lead to shorter total journey instances. This isn’t to advertise dashing; it’s about exploring how electrification is subtly altering the best way 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.
Nevertheless, what I believe will get misplaced on this dialog is that the factor most individuals care about on street journeys will not be the effectivity or uncooked variety of stops, however fairly 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 approach and have respectable charging speeds, you will save a major period of time by going 80 vs attempting to hypermile to keep away from stopping.
To provide an instance, for 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 will 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 in case you add in a flat 5 minutes per cease to get to the charging spot and get fee sorted, it is nonetheless clear that dashing beats going gradual. Plus, these numbers are exaggerated already in favor of the slower velocity, and it nonetheless loses (my private numbers are 3.4 mi/kWh at 65 mph and ~2.5 mi/kwh at 80, no less than in good climate). There is a little bit of calculus concerned in figuring out the optimum driving velocity for the reason that particular relationship between your velocity and effectivity is vital to the calculation, however in virtually each scenario I may plug into that calculation above, driving 80 got here out forward on time.
Now, you’ll pay extra, however I might gladly pay an additional $20 to get to my vacation spot an hour quicker.
Edit: Mounted 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, you may as well save time at 75 or 70, even within the worst-case situation I outlined of extreme effectivity loss and comparatively gradual charging speeds.
Edit3: To provide an precise situation from actuality, listed below are the stats for my EV6 from a driving the identical velocity for like ~50 miles at a time on a current roadtrip. I rounded a couple of numbers, however that is very near “actual knowledge”. Left at close to 100%, so I am subtracting the cost time. Complete journey miles was 400, and cost velocity 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 complete instances if you wish to be pedantic.
So in my scenario, 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 normally, 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 quicker 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 quicker, it’s a situational remark. In automobiles with quick charging functionality, the additional time spent recharging could be offset by larger cruising speeds, relying on circumstances.
Actual-World Infrastructure Hurdles for EV Quick Charging Reliability
- Excessive-power DC quick chargers (150–400 miles/hr equal) can sometimes 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 inclined 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 prolong 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 completely different, and as one commenter well famous,
“Every car can have its personal optimum velocity.”
It’s not about velocity for velocity’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 features. 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 often discovered themselves in troublesome conditions when charging stations had been unavailable or beneath restore.
One person recalled being stranded as a result of the one accessible Supercharger in vary was offline, leaving them to look at a working charger they couldn’t use. These hiccups remind us that even when a quicker 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 due to its 800-volt structure and high-speed charging functionality, typically topping 200 kW in ultimate circumstances. Kia claims it could actually cost from 10% to 80% in round 18 minutes, and impartial testing has proven that this efficiency is constant. With that form of velocity, the penalty for stopping turns into much less of a burden, and journey planning turns into extra versatile.
That mentioned, the price of effectivity remains to be actual. The Reddit person’s quicker 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 straightforward trade-off for an hour saved.
For others, notably these with tighter budgets or entry to cheaper residence charging, it won’t 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 based mostly on the capabilities of your car and your journey objectives.
2025 Kia EV6 Specs: Battery, Value, and Efficiency Highlights
- The refreshed 2025 EV6 gives 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 payment (~$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 foremost 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 velocity, vary, and driving dynamics
However let’s not get forward of ourselves. As mmiggs commented, even beneath ultimate circumstances, the distinction in complete journey time could be modest, generally simply 12 minutes over a full day of driving.
And as in addition they famous, EVs nonetheless path gasoline automobiles in the case of total journey velocity, 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 knowledge 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 automobiles just like the Kia EV6, with a powerful charging curve and real-world effectivity, it could generally be extra sensible, not essentially smarter or safer, to drive at average freeway speeds and reap the benefits of fast charging alongside the best way.
Will this variation the best way you drive your EV? At what speeds is your automobile best?
Tell us within the feedback under.
Picture Sources: Kia Newsroom
Noah Washington is an automotive journalist based mostly in Atlanta, Georgia. He enjoys overlaying the newest information within the automotive trade and conducting critiques on the newest vehicles. He has been within the automotive trade since 15 years previous and has been featured in distinguished automotive information websites. You may attain him on X and LinkedIn for ideas and to observe his automotive protection.
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