South Korean carmaker Kia has improved the battery performance of its first compact SUV, the EV3, to boost its driving range. The EV3 features a smart regenerative braking system that combines regenerative braking with autonomous driving and a new heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system designed to maximize interior space utilization relative to body size.
Kia held the ‘Kia EV3 Tech Day’ at its factory in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, on July 16 and showcased the innovative technologies applied to the EV3. The carmaker announced that it would lead the popularization of electric vehicles with these technologies. Priced in the 30 million won range, the EV3 will be available for sale later this month. Kia’s annual sales target for the EV3 is 25,000 to 30,000 units, and pre-orders have already surpassed 10,000 units.
The EV3′s long-range model boasts a real-world driving range of 546 kilometers on a full charge, exceeding the 501 kilometers certified by the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy. A 434-kilometer drive from Paju City Hall to Haeundae in Busan last month revealed that the battery usage was only 78%, leaving a remaining battery capacity of 22%, sufficient to drive an additional 112 kilometers.
Kia equipped the EV3 with an 81.4-kilowatt-hour Gen 4 battery, the largest in its class (400 volts). This battery enhances energy density at the cell level, resulting in the EV3 having approximately 22% higher energy density than the Niro EV. Kia explained that the electronics inside the battery pack are mounted in two tiers, adding 25% more battery cells than the Niro EV.
The i-Pedal and the smart regenerative system have been upgraded to improve driving comfort. The i-Pedal in the EV3 allows for acceleration, deceleration, and stopping using only the accelerator pedal, and can now be used for all stages of regenerative braking, even in reverse. The existing i-Pedal function was only available at the highest regenerative braking level, but now drivers can operate it at their desired deceleration rate.
The smart regenerative system integrates regenerative braking with autonomous driving so the EV3 can automatically slow down when the accelerator pedal is released. Unlike the previous system, which relied solely on speed camera information, the new system uses various navigation-based information to respond to situations such as curves, speed limits, and speed bumps. It can also automatically reduce speed in conditions below 9 kilometers per hour, minimizing the need to press the brake pedal.
“While the smart cruise control (SCC) is semi-autonomous, the smart regenerative system provides greater comfort even when the driver is still manually driving,” said Shim Gyu-bin, a researcher at Kia’s Vehicle Development Tech Unit 1. “Unlike SCC, the function does not turn off when the brake pedal is pressed, making it particularly useful in city driving where frequent braking is required.”
The EV3 also features Kia’s THIN HVAC system. By changing the arrangement of heat exchangers, Kia managed to reduce the size of the air conditioning system by approximately 33% compared to previous models, increasing passenger space and providing effective cabin air conditioning. Even though the system is smaller, it offers more air volume and less noise and power consumption, according to the company.
Additionally, Kia has updated EV-specific features such as utility mode and Vehicle-to-Load (V2L). The EV3 allows drivers to operate all the vehicle’s electronics with a button. Utility mode enables using electrical devices such as air conditioning and audio when the car is stationary, and V2L lets power be drawn from the vehicle’s battery for external use.
