Kia EV6 News

Australia electric car owners are about to realise the full potential of their vehicles.Power giant AGL has announced a new Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) trial to allow EV owners to power their homes and be paid to send power back to the grid.V2G technology allows electric vehicle owners to use the energy stored in their vehicles to power their home or send power back to the grid to earn credits during periods of peak demand.Electric car batteries are typically about five times the size of conventional home batteries, which could deliver huge potential for Australians.When paired with roof-top solar, V2G technology could allow some to effectively live off the grid.AGL Head of Innovation and Strategy Renae Gasmier said: “To unlock the full potential of their electric vehicles, owners need to think about them as more than cars, but rather as home batteries on wheels. The typical electric car battery can store enough energy to power the average home for around three days.”The new technology was green lit last year when Federal Climate and Energy Minister Chris Bowen announced Standards Australia has signed off on a new protocol allowing the technology to be approved for use in Australia.This streamlined the process for car and charging device manufacturers to get their vehicles approved for V2G use.“Vehicle to grid charging is now ticked, enabled under the law of the land and will become a reality before Christmas, in the real world,” said Bowen at the time. “Possible today, technically possible today, thanks to these changes, but next couple of months, an opportunity for the companies to get their registrations in and get it happening.”Currently V2G is only being trialled in South Australia, but AGL opens it up nationwide by bringing in all major national electricity market Distribution Network Service Providers.AGL has joined forces with BYD, Hyundai, Kia and Zeekr to make the service available to select vehicles.Owners of a Hyundai Ioniq 5, Ioniq 9 and the soon to be launched updated Ioniq 6 can take part.Kia’s EV3, EV6 and EV9 can also be part of the trial.Kia Australia boss Damien Meredith said: “Amid cost-of-living pressures, this unlocks the potential for Kia EV owners to transform their cars into mobile energy assets. Bi-directional charging is a game-changer, and we look forward to help introduce V2G to the Australian market on a much larger scale.”Hyundai Australia chief Don Romano said the trial will be able to show Australians its electric cars can do far more than just drive.BYD Atto 3 with some modifications is currently eligible with the plug-in hybrid Shark 6 ute and Sealion 6 a possibility further down the line.Zeekr currently has three electric vehicles on sale, the X small SUV, 7X mid-size SUV and 009 people mover. It is unclear which Zeekr vehicles can take part in the trial.

Sorry, Swifties. While we appreciate the cultural phenomenon that is singer/songwriter, artist and philanthropist Taylor Swift, this is not a paean to a great pop star, but, rather, a reference to the year that marked Japan’s stellar ascension as the biggest threat to the established carmakers of that time. Their fear was existential as well as actual.

Kia has revealed its new path to global EV domination.The South Korean brand debuted several new models and hinted at even more at its recent EV Day.It took the covers off its Tesla Model 3 and BYD Seal rivalling EV4 sedan, which also has the added bonus of being offered as a hatchback.Kia debuted the PV5 van and people mover alongside its European-focused EV2 small SUV.These cars are all due shortly and will join the EV3 compact SUV, EV5 mid-size SUV, EV6 coupe SUV and the EV9 seven-seat SUV in its global line-up.Kia Australia has committed to the EV4, and would like the PV5 but has not confirmed its availability yet. The EV2 is off the cards as it is built in Slovakia and the business case for an affordable European-sourced EV doesn’t stack up.The company’s president Ho Sung Song, also let slip that a micro EV1 electric car is essential to mass adoption of its EVs.“If we want to move to the late majority customer target group, definitely we need a lower size of model – or a lower-price model – and we are internally studying what will be our entry EV models, apart from our EV2,” said Song.“Maybe next EV Day, we’ll show you what we are planning.”This could mean an electric version of the pint-sized Picanto hatchback, which would be a direct rival to budget EVs such as the BYD Seagull that is sold overseas but not Australia.Kia would be targeting the sub-$30,000 range if it wanted to be competitive at the lower end of the market.This line-up, with the addition of the EV1, puts Kia well ahead of Tesla — currently the world largest EV maker — and would put it on a collision course with the surging BYD.Kia has a distinct advantage, though.Tesla has ruled out smaller and more affordable cars and BYD is locked out of the US market and is hamstrung by tariffs in Europe.

Kia has brought a facelift of its breakthrough electric car to Australia ahead of its official release.  The new-look Kia EV6 is on display at the Australian Open tennis tournament and gives a glimpse of what to expect come the second quarter of this year.

Kia has recalled 5978 examples of its Sorento model sold between 2023 and 2024 and 4551 examples of its electric EV6 model sold between 2021 and 2024 over a software defect.A recall notice published by the Australian government’s vehicle recall regulator reads: “due to a software issue, the turn indicator light and/or the upper part of the Daytime Running Lights (DRL) may not operate as intended. This may result in reduced visibility.”In extreme cases, the recall notice said reduced visibility may increase the risk of an accident causing injury or death to vehicle occupants and other road users.Kia Australia will contact owners of affected vehicles directly by mail to arrange to have the software update carried out, free of charge. The software update can also be carried out via an over-the-air update.Owners can also check if their vehicle is impacted by looking up its VIN number on the Vehicle Recalls website.

Australians aren’t buying as many EVs as they need to.

Kia announced the first details of its much-anticipated EV9 GT model at this year's Los Angeles motor show.

It’s been a long time since someone who’s not that interested in cars gushed to me about how much they like Tesla (it doesn’t help that the man in charge of Tesla has done less and less for his own reputation as time rolls on), so if Tesla isn’t the brand at the cultural forefront of electric cars then, who should be?

After being rumoured and teased, the 2025 Kia EV6 facelift has finally been unveiled in South Korea. A discreet nip and tuck of the front end with new lighting features is mated to an updated cabin design and larger 84kWh battery providing a few extra kilometres of driving range for the refreshed EV6.Australian details have yet to be confirmed but we do know the refreshed Tesla Model Y and Hyundai Ioniq 5 rival will hit local shores in the fourth quarter (October to December inclusive) of this year. Led by the Air and GT-Line variants, Kia will introduce the flagship GT locally a few months after the more attainable trims. Changes outside include a new front mask featuring full-width LED lighting that attempts to link the EV6 to the latest EV9 and EV5 design language. It gives the impression of a longer bonnet, while the bumper and valance have been tidied up for a sleeker appearance. The coupe-like EV6 remains a distinct offering next to the rest of Kia’s EV range. At the rear not much has changed for the 2025 EV6, which retains its textural chrome ring on the tailgate that links into the LED tail and brake lights. There are new futuristic alloy wheel designs in both 19- and 20-inch sizes. Further changes lurk inside with the multimedia touchscreen and digital driver’s display now integrated into a single curved display module. There’s an updated operating system straight from the EV9 that features wireless smartphone mirroring. A newly-designed two-spoke steering wheel now features low-gloss switchgear and attractive airbag cover. There’s also a fingerprint reader that will allow registered drivers to start the EV6 without a key. That feature is not confirmed for Australia. Overseas images show greater interior customisation than what’s previously been offered in Australia with a two-tone black and brown leather and light option. An upgraded 84kWh lithium-ion battery pack – the same as the Ioniq 5 – replaces the previous 77.4kWh unit. It increases driving range from 475km to 494km for rear-drive models with 19-inch wheels while the 10-80 per cent ultra-rapid charge time remains at 18 minutes. There are no changes to the EV6’s outputs with the rear-drive model producing 168kW/350Nm and the twin-motor AWD up at 239kW/605Nm. Kia has not detailed changes to the flagship GT model yet. In South Korea, Kia claims to have tweaked the settings of the EV6’s frequency-selective dampers. It’s unclear whether the same changes will be made to Australian cars given Kia’s local ride and handling program. Other improvements include improving insulation for the electric motors and adding strengthening material to the body. Australia pricing will be revealed closer to the EV6’s launch. The current line-up runs from Air ($72,590) to GT ($99,590, both before on-road costs).

In line with Tesla’s global ‘floating price strategy’, cost-of-entry for the Performance version of the brand’s Model Y mid-size SUV has been reduced.