Kia wants to put 800V fast charging in cheaper electric cars

Kia plans to allow 800V charging in cheaper cars from next year. The fast charging system is now only available in the Porsche Taycan models. These are specifically models for the European market.

Not all electric cars from the South Korean company will be able to charge with 800V, says Kia. “Some models, especially those aimed at price-conscious consumers, will offer 400V charging. The 800V charging is not only for Kia’s flagship models, but also for product lines where the fast charging fits the usage profile.” This concerns models of which users ‘may rely more often on fast charging or drive more kilometers’. It is unknown which cars will be involved.

The manufacturer’s next generation of electric cars for the European market will be released next year. Kia plans to release 11 electric car models by 2025. It is not yet known how much 800V fast charging will be.

Fast charging is already on the Porsche Taycan models. It offers charging with 350kW thanks to the 800V battery system. In theory you can charge 80 percent in ten to fifteen minutes, good for an estimated range of 300 to 400 km. This has also been tested in practice, where even a power of 400 kW was achieved, with which a range of 100 km was recharged in three minutes.