4 December 2018 – Kia Motors Europe has today issued a correction to the official Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP) all-electric driving range figures for the new Kia e-Niro.
All new cars to be sold in the European Union are subject to the new WLTP tests, which use a standardised test programme set and overseen by designated testing authorities. The new e-Niro was one of the first cars tested under the new WLTP rules. In carrying out the new tests on the car to establish its homologated electric vehicle driving range, the independent organisation overseeing the process accidentally provided an incorrect testing methodology and then approved the results it generated. This led to the e-Niro being tested for a disproportionate length of time on the WLTP 'urban' cycle (comprising lower overall vehicle speeds and a reduced energy requirement), resulting in an overestimation of the vehicle's all-electric range.
The inconsistency in the test cycles has been identified due to Kia's ongoing homologation work for another new Kia electric vehicle. No other Kia vehicles are affected by this issue.
Kia Motors previously communicated that the WLTP combined cycle range for the e-Niro was 485 kilometres (301 miles) for the long-range 64 kWh battery pack, and 312 kilometres (193 miles) for the standard (39.2 kWh) battery pack.
Having now re-calculated the car according to the updated methodology, the e-Niro's new WLTP combined cycle range is 455 kilometres (282 miles) for the long-range model, and 289 kilometres (179 miles) for the standard model.
Kia Motors is proactively communicating with customers who may have already ordered a new e-Niro, to explain this discrepancy.