Kia takes the EV4 to the Nürburgring

Kia has completed rigorous battery and endurance testing with the EV4 and its battery system in a combination of track testing at the Nürburgring and public roads in Germany.

The comprehensive test programme included an accelerated 110,000-kilometre endurance test on European roads and a 10,000-kilometre stress test on the Nürburgring race track in the Eifel region, in which 90 to 95 per cent of the model’s maximum power output was simulated. Simultaneously, the battery system was subjected to additional stress through repeated rapid charging between laps.

According to Kia, the EV4 showed only minor signs of wear after these tests, while maintaining its high battery efficiency. At the end of the test, Kia’s engineers certified the EV4 with a battery state of health (SoH) of 95 per cent. Repeated “hypercharging sessions” during the testing also placed strain on the battery but clearly did not impact battery health as much as expected.

The Kia EV4 runs on a 58.3 kWh battery, which delivers up to 430 kilometres of range, according to WLTP. A Long Range version is also available, which delivers up to 630 km on an 81.4 kWh battery. Both variants deliver up to 150 kW of power, 283 Nm of torque and can accelerate to 100 kph in less than 8 seconds. In the UK, the Fastback variant was recently announced, which starts at £40,895.

Kia writes that it attributes the endurance performance to the new fourth-generation battery system. This combines thermal management with optimised coolant distribution over all cell units. As Kia writes in its press release, “these enhancements ensure that the battery operates within safe temperature levels, even under high-stress conditions.” This ultimately extends battery life and maintains consistent performance for the entire system. The South Korean manufacturer now guarantees “at least 70 per cent of its battery capacity after 160,000 kilometres driven or eight years of regular use.”

“To provide our customers a reliable, everyday EV, we had to validate the EV4’s durability both in real-world and extreme environments,” said Stephan Hoferer, Manager Durability Development at Hyundai Motor Europe Technical Center. “With the rigorous testing – from icy roads to racetracks, we’re confident the EV4 will deliver dependable performance well beyond everyday needs.”

press-eu.kia.com