[Taboleo] No Need to Use Brakes... EV3 Equipped with Smart Regenerative Braking

Optimized Package Design Increases Interior Space
Round Trip from Seoul to East Coast on a Single Charge
Improved Battery Cell Performance and Thermal Management Control
First Application of Smart Regenerative Braking Enhances Driving Comfort

As electric vehicle sales declined, some companies lowered prices while others reduced investments. The reason they had to respond passively is that this chasm (temporary demand slowdown) does not seem likely to be resolved by just one or two companies stepping up. Charging infrastructure is insufficient, and although prices have dropped significantly, electric vehicles are still more expensive than internal combustion engine cars. The fact that significant damage occurred due to electric vehicle fires has also spread fear.

Despite these challenging conditions, Kia introduced the compact electric sports utility vehicle (SUV) EV3. While positioning it as an affordable electric car, Kia did not simply lower the price but refined the product and densely incorporated new technologies. After selling electric vehicles for 2 to 3 years and analyzing customer preferences, they carefully improved what was deemed necessary. There are traces of consideration throughout the vehicle about what kind of position it will hold in the market rather than immediate sales volume.

Kia EV3 [Photo by Hyundai Motor Group]

Compact Electric Car, Will It Feel Cramped?

Electric vehicles have an advantage in providing spacious interiors. This car’s interior is comparable to that of a typical mid-size car. Sitting in the driver’s seat, the head, shoulder, and legroom feel quite ample. The package design was optimized, and the air conditioning system, which usually occupies space near the front passenger’s knees, was made thinner. The console table used as an armrest for the driver can be comfortably adjusted in length, which seems very practical. However, some may find the reduced storage space inconvenient.

The rear seats are also relatively spacious compared to the exterior appearance. Not only does the front seat have a reclining function, but the rear seats can also be tilted to some extent. This takes into account that occupants may spend extended time inside the vehicle due to charging and other reasons. The display is a wide, horizontally elongated type recently applied to new Kia models. The head-up display also contains various information.

Is It Suitable for Commuting?

Unless you mainly travel long distances of several tens of kilometers, electric vehicles have many advantages. While internal combustion engine cars achieve better fuel efficiency on highways, electric vehicles perform better in stop-and-go city driving. This is because regenerative braking activates as soon as the driver lifts their foot off the accelerator pedal. The Kia EV3 has increased battery capacity to be suitable even for mid- to long-distance driving. The battery capacity in this car is about 81.4 kWh, similar to that of mid-size electric vehicles.

Because the body is small, the cruising range exceeds 500 km. This is enough to make a round trip from Seoul to the coastal areas of Gangwon Province and still have some charge left. It is said that a one-way trip from Seoul to Busan is also possible without charging. Charging performance is also good. By improving battery cell performance and controlling thermal management, fast charging from 10% to 80% takes only 31 minutes. This means less burden even if there is no charging station at home or work. Engineers say that charging was the aspect they paid the most attention to during the development of this car.

Kia EV3 Interior [Photo by Hyundai Motor Group]

Is the Unique Electric Vehicle Jerkiness Acceptable?

The level of regenerative braking can be adjusted in stages, but the unique ride quality of electric vehicles is a part that is hard to get used to. Drivers adapt after driving the car a few times, but other passengers find it difficult to adjust. In this regard, the most impressive aspect during the test drive of this car was the ride comfort. The smart regenerative braking system, applied for the first time in Hyundai and Kia electric vehicles, makes driving much easier and more comfortable. When the driver lifts their foot, the system adjusts the deceleration level by comprehensively analyzing the distance to the preceding vehicle detected by sensors and the current driving environment obtained from the navigation system.

The previous i-Pedal was convenient because it allowed stopping without separate brake operation. However, the strong braking force applied the moment the foot was lifted resulted in poor ride comfort. The newly designed system focuses on making the experience as natural as possible. It comprehensively judges speed cameras, left and right turns, curves, speed limit zones, speed bumps, and roundabouts to autonomously drive the car in an optimal state.

Usually, I do not use cruise control much while driving and rarely used one-pedal driving during electric vehicle test drives, but I thought this smart regenerative braking system, set as the default, would be a very useful feature. On the route from Seoul to Sokcho in Gangwon Province, I drove for tens of kilometers with this function activated, and the number of times I pressed the brake was very few.

Kia EV3 [Photo by Hyundai Motor Group]

Is It Okay to Buy an Electric Vehicle?

While expensive cars are more likely to be good cars, being expensive does not mean they incorporate the latest technology first. The EV3 applies various ‘first’ technologies in many areas, including ride comfort, thermal management, and noise reduction technologies that gauge electric vehicle performance. Rather than showing off technology, Kia listened carefully to customers who bought previous electric vehicles, noting their complaints and essential needs, and reflected improvements accordingly.

In this context, the EV3 was launched with a variety of advanced technologies. The judgment was that after the chasm passes, at least in terms of vehicle product quality, it should not fall behind. Opinions on the recent electric vehicle fires are sharply divided. On one side, safety concerns are raised, citing possibilities such as battery overcharging. On the other hand, it is argued that compared to internal combustion engine cars, the incidence and frequency of fires are lower, and the current design includes sufficient safety margins, making the possibility of fire due to battery overcharging nonexistent. Considering subsidies, the new car can be purchased for the mid-to-high 30 million KRW range.