The Kia Sportage Plug-In Hybrid: The Complete Guide For Ireland

The Kia Sportage Plug-In Hybrid Ireland
Price: From € 47,000
Type of electric vehicle: Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV)
Body type: SUV
Battery size: 13.8 kWh
Electric range (WLTP): 70 km
Tailpipe emissions: 25 g (CO2/km)


Electric Cars: The Basics


For those of you new to zero-emission electric driving, we recommend a read of the following articles:


Sign up to the e-zoomed Electric Living newsletter

The Kia Sportage PHEV SUV


Kia Corporation, the South Korean automotive manufacturer is fast developing a portfolio of lower emission ‘eco’ vehicles, to include zero-emission battery-electric vehicles (BEVs), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) and mild hybrids.

The Korean automotive company is headquartered in Seoul, and it is South Korea’s second largest automotive manufacturer after the Hyundai Motor Company. Hyundai owns a 33.88% stake in Kia. The Kia Corporation has been active in the European markets since 1991. The BEVs and PHEVs range includes:

The Kia Sportage, now in its fifth-generation, has always been a popular SUV. However, with the addition of a plug-in hybrid drivetrain, the family SUV has become even more compelling.

The Sportage plug-in hybrid SUV has a 13.8 kWh onboard EV battery, with a WLTP certified zero-emission electric range up to 70 km. Adjusting for real-world driving conditions, the Sportage plug-in should comfortably deliver an emission-free pure electric range over 65 km, useful for city and shorter distance motorway driving! For those new to electric driving, it is worth noting that many factors influence the real-world electric car range. Some of these include: driving style, temperature, elevation, wind, rain, road surface, tyre size, onboard services used etc.

Do keep in mind that driving on the pure electric mode helps reduce the cost of motoring and improve the overall efficiency of the vehicle. Depending on the cost of charging, expect a driving cost between 5 and 10 cents per km, when driven on the e-mode. This is substantially cheaper than driving using the petrol internal combustion engine (ICE).

Kia claims the Sportage PHEV can deliver up to 1.1 l/100 km. This is certainly impressive, however, do keep in mind, like the real-world electric range, the real-world fuel economy will be lower than the manufacturer claimed data. Nevertheless, leveraging the pure electric mode on a regular basis is a must in taking advantage of the benefits of electric driving, to include better fuel economy!

Taking advantage of the EV range will also require inculcating a habit of charging the EV on a regular basis, which is as easy as charging a smartphone. We at e-zoomed discourage the use of a domestic 3-PIN plug for charging an electric car. A ‘topping up’ approach to charging will help improve the overall efficiency of the electric vehicle and also improve the long-term maintenance of the onboard EV battery. Kia offers a 7 years or 150,000 km warranty.

The Kia PHEV does not offer DC charging. The EV has a 7.2 kW onboard charger. The Kia electric vehicle can be charged 10% to 100% via a dedicated EV charging station in 1 hour and 45 minutes. If you insist on using a domestic socket for charging, the EV will take up to 5 hours and 27 minutes to fully charge.

The plug-in hybrid SUV comes as an all-wheel drive as standard. The EV combines a 1.6-litre (four-cylinder) turbocharged petrol engine with an onboard electric motor (66.9 kW), powered by the EV battery. Despite the additional weight of the EV battery (140 kg), the PHEV can achieve 0-100 km/h in 8.2 seconds. The 6-speed automatic transmission plug-in electric SUV delivers 226 bhp maximum power and 350 Nm torque. Top speed is 191 km/h. The EV has 3 driving modes: comfort, eco and sport mode.

The all-new Kia Sportage plug-in hybrid has an attractive exterior styling, with a good balance between a traditional and futuristic design. The interior cabin is also just as appealing and the level of standard equipment and technology does not disappoint. In terms of practicality, the SUV has much to offer, in particular, a good boot size (540 L). The only real critique is the potential for limited legroom for taller adults seated in the rear.

The electric vehicle (EV) offers a host of safety features as standard, to include: forward collision-avoidance assist (FCA) – city/pedestrian/cyclist/junction covering, hill-start assist control (HAC), intelligent speed limit assist (ISLA), lane following assist (LFA), lane keep assist (LKA) and more. Also included as standard is a 12.3″ Supervision Colour Cluster Display, 360° around view monitor, blind-spot view monitor (BVM), free 7-year Kia Connect (UVO) services and more.

The Kia Sportage PHEV tailpipe emissions are low (25g CO2/km). Bottom-line, the Kia Sportage plug-in hybrid is good for the environment and the wallet!


 PROS CONS
Low tailpipe emissionDoes not offer DC charging
Decent zero-emission electric rangeOnboard charger limited to 7.2 kW (single-phase)
All-wheel drive as standardRear legroom limited for taller adults

The Kia Sportage PHEV (credit: KIA)


At A Glance
EV Type:Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV)
Vehicle Type:SUV
Engine:Petrol-Electric
Available In Ireland:Yes

Variants (2 Options)
K3 1.6 Petrol PHEV (from € 47,000)
K4 1.6 Petrol PHEV (from € 49,500)

EV Battery & Emissions
EV Battery Type:Lithium-ion
EV Battery Capacity:Available in one battery size: 13.8 kWh
Charging:DC charging not available. Onboard charger: 7.2 kW AC (0% – 100%: 1 hrs 45 mins)
Charge Port:Type 2
EV Cable Type:Type 2
Tailpipe Emissions:25 g (CO2/km)
Warranty:7 years or 150,000 km

Average Cost Of Residential Charging
Battery net capacity : 8.8 kWh€ 2.10
Battery net capacity : 11.6 kWh€ 2.78
Battery net capacity : 12.0 kWh€ 2.87
Battery net capacity : 13.10 kWh€ 3.14
Battery net capacity : 14.10 kWh€ 3.37
  • Note 1: The average cost of residential electricity in Ireland varies depending on the region, supplier and type of energy used. An average for Ireland is 23.97 cents/kWh.
  • Note 2: Not all EV manufactures make available the data on net EV battery capacity, and in a number of instances the EV battery capacity advertised, does not state if it is gross or net capacity. In general, usable EV battery capacity is between 85% to 95% of the gross available capacity.

Charging Times (Overview)
Slow charging AC (3 kW – 3.6 kW):6 – 12 hours (dependent on size of EV battery & SOC)
Fast charging AC (7 kW – 22 kW):3 – 8 hours (dependent on size of EV battery & SoC)
Rapid charging AC (43 kW):0-80%: 20 mins to 60 mins (dependent on size of EV battery & SoC)
  • Note 1: SoC: state of charge

Dimensions
Height (mm):1650
Width (mm):1865
Length (mm):4515
Wheelbase (mm):2680
Turning Circle (m):11.4
Boot Space (L):540

1.6 GDi ISG PHEV
EV Battery Capacity:13.8 kWh
Pure Electric Range (WLTP):70 km
Electric Energy Consumption (Wh/km):169
Fuel Consumption (l/100 km):1.1
Charging:DC charging not available. Onboard charger: 7.2 kW AC (10% – 100%: 1 hr 45 mins)
Top Speed:191 km/h
0-100 km/h:8.2 seconds
Drive:All-wheel drive (aWD)
Electric Motor (kW):66.9
Max Power (bhp):226
Torque (Nm):350
Transmission:Automatic
Seats:5
Doors:5
Kerb Weight (kg):1,905
Colours:7
NCAP Safety Rating:Five-Star

History Of Electric Cars: Quick Facts


An electric vehicle (EV), also referred to as a battery-electric vehicle (BEV) is not a new invention or even an invention of modern times. Indeed, EVs were first developed more than a 100 years ago in the 19th century. Inventors from various countries, to include European countries and the United States, were the first to invest in electric motors and batteries. The first practical electric cars were built in the second half of the nineteenth century, with the first US electric car introduced in 1890.
Electric vehicles came into prominence in the early 1900’s, a time when horse-drawn carriages were the primary mode of transportation. Archived black and white photographs from that period show famous avenues like Madison Avenue in New York city filled with horse-drawn carriages. In stark contrast, a similar photograph taken a decade later of Madison Avenue showed not a single horse-drawn carriage. Instead the avenue was filled with motor vehicles, a new invention. It was the beginning of man’s love affair with cars that has lasted more than a century and still going strong. 
However, the uptake of electric vehicles in the early 20th century was short-lived, as gasoline powered vehicles propelled by internal combustion engines (ICE) become the preferred mode of transportation. Bottom-line, manufactures chose internal combustion engines over electric cars in the early 1900s for various reasons, to include, the costs and production volumes.  
It is not definitive as to where EVs were invented or to credit a single inventor. However, one known electric motor (small-scale) was created in 1828 by Anyos Jedlik, a Hungarian inventor, engineer, physicist and Benedictine priest. Hungarians and Slovaks still consider him to be the unsung hero of the electric motor.  
Shortly after, between 1832 and 1839, a Scottish inventor Robert Anderson created a large electric motor to drive a carriage, powered by non-rechargeable primary power cells. Through the 19th century a number of inventors were inspired to develop electric motors to include, Thomas Davenport, an American from Vermont credited with building the first DC electric motor in America (1834). Unlike many of his contemporaries and other trying to build electric motors, Davenport did not have a background in either engineering or physics. In fact, he was a blacksmith. 
Move forward a few decades and at the end of the 19th century, William Morrison created what is believed to be the first practical electric vehicle. Morrison, another American from Des Moines, Iowa, was a chemist who became interested in electricity. He build the first electric vehicle in 1887 in a carriage built by the Des Moines Buggy Co. His first attempt was not a great success. In 1890, he attempted again, with more success. 12 EVs were built using a carriage built by the Shaver Carriage Company.
The batteries were designed and developed by William Morrison. The vehicle had 24 batteries with an output of 112 amperes at 58 volts that took 10 hours to recharge. Available horsepower just under 4 horsepower. The vehicle could accommodate 6 individuals and had a top speed of 14 mph (22.50 km/h).
Morrison’s success led to others also developing large-scale practical electric cars. At the turn of the century cities like New York had 60 electric taxis. The first decade witnessed strong popularity for electric vehicles. However the popularity was short-lived as internal combustion engine (ICE) gasoline powered vehicles replaced the early electric vehicles. Henry Fords success with the then ubiquitous Ford Model T was the ‘beginning of the end’ for electric vehicles. The Model T was cheaper than the prevailing electric cars (US$ 650 Vs US$ 1,750) and could be manufactured at scale.  As they say — the rest is history. 

While e-zoomed uses reasonable efforts to provide accurate and up-to-date information, some of the information provided is gathered from third parties and has not been independently verified by e-zoomed. While the information from the third party sources is believed to be reliable, no warranty, express or implied, is made by e-zoomed regarding the accuracy, adequacy, completeness, legality, reliability or usefulness of any information. This disclaimer applies to both isolated and aggregate uses of this information.


Featured Articles



Featured Products



Author

Ashvin Suri

Ashvin has been involved with the renewables, energy efficiency and infrastructure sectors since 2006. He is passionate about the transition to a low-carbon economy and electric transportation. Ashvin commenced his career in 1994, working with US investment banks in New York. Post his MBA from the London Business School (1996-1998), he continued to work in investment banking at Flemings (London) and JPMorgan (London). His roles included corporate finance advisory, M&A and capital raising. He has been involved across diverse industry sectors, to include engineering, aerospace, oil & gas, airports and automotive across Asia and Europe. In 2010, he co-founded a solar development platform, for large scale ground and roof solar projects to include, the UK, Italy, Germany and France. He has also advised on various renewable energy (wind and solar) utility scale projects working with global institutional investors and independent power producers (IPP’s) in the renewable energy sector. He has also advised in key international markets like India, to include advising large-scale industrial and automotive group in India. Ashvin has also advised Indian Energy, an IPP backed by Guggenheim (a US$ 165 billion fund). He has also advised a US$ 2 billion, Singapore based group. Ashvin has also worked in the real estate and infrastructure sector, to including working with the Matrix Group (a US$ 4 billion property group in the UK) to launch one of the first few institutional real estate funds for the Indian real estate market. The fund was successfully launched with significant institutional support from the UK/ European markets. He has also advised on water infrastructure, to include advising a Swedish clean technology company in the water sector. He has also been involved with a number of early stage ventures.

Buy Electric Driving Products

Sign up for e-zoomed news and offers

This site uses technical cookies to guarantee an optimal and fast navigation, and analysis cookies to elaborate statistics.
You can visit the Cookie Policy to get more insights or to block the use of all or some cookies, by selecting the Cookie Settings.
By choosing Accept, you give your permission to use the abovementioned cookies.

Privacy Settings saved!
Privacy Settings

When you visit any web site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Control your personal Cookie Services here.

These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems.

In order to use this website we use the following technically required cookies
  • wordpress_test_cookie
  • wordpress_logged_in_
  • wordpress_sec

We use Google Tag Manager to monitor our traffic and to help us AB test new features.

Decline all Services
Accept all Services