Kia NIRO User manual

Kia, THE COMPANY
Thank you for becoming the owner of a new Kia vehicle.
As a global car manufacturer focused on building high-quality, value
for money prices, Kia Motors is dedicated to providing you with a
customer service experience that exceeds your expectations.
At all of our Kia dealerships you will be treated with warmth, hospi‐
tality and professionalism by people who care based on our “Family-
like Care” promise.
All information contained in this Owner’s Manual was accurate at the
time of publication. However, Kia reserves the right to make changes
at any time so that our policy of continual product improvement can
be carried out.
This manual applies to all trims of this vehicle and includes images,
descriptions, and explanations of optional as well as standard equip‐
ment. As a result, some material in this manual may not be applica‐
ble to your specific Kia vehicle. Some images are shown for illustra‐
tion only and may show features that differ from those on your ve‐
hicle.
Enjoy your vehicle and Kia’s “Family-like Care” experience!

Thank you for choosing a Kia vehicle.
This manual will familiarize you with operational, maintenance and safety information about your new vehicle. It
is supplemented by a Warranty and Maintenance book that provides important information on all warranties re‐
garding your vehicle. Kia urges you to read these publications carefully and follow the recommendations to help
assure enjoyable and safe operation of your new vehicle.
Kia offers a great variety of options, components and features for its various models. Therefore, some of the
equipment described in this manual, along with the various illustrations, may not be applicable to your particular
vehicle.
The information and specifications provided in this manual were accurate at the time of printing. Kia reserves the
right to discontinue or change specifications or design at any time without notice and without incurring any obli‐
gation. If you have questions, Kia recommends to check with an authorised Kia dealer/service partner.
Kia assures you of our continuing interest in your motoring pleasure and satisfaction in your Kia vehicle.
© 2020 Kia MOTORS Corp.
All rights reserved. Reproduction by any means, elec‐
tronic or mechanical, including photocopying, record‐
ing, or by any information storage and retrieval sys‐
tem or translation in whole or part is not permitted
without written authorization from Kia MOTORS Cor‐
poration.
Printed in Korea
Foreword
ii

Table of contents
Electric vehicle guide 1
Introduction 2
Your vehicle at a glance 3
Safety features of your vehicle 4
Features of your vehicle 5
Driving your vehicle 6
What to do in an emergency 7
Maintenance 8
Specifications & Consumer information 9
Appendix 10
Alphabetical index I
iii

iv

Review of electric vehicle.........................................................1-02
Characteristics of electric vehicles.....................................1-02
Battery information............................................................. 1-02
Main components of electric vehicle......................................1-03
High voltage battery (lithium-ion polymer).....................1-04
EV mode......................................................................................1-06
Available range...................................................................... 1-06
Energy information...............................................................1-07
Charge Management............................................................ 1-08
ECO driving............................................................................. 1-10
EV setting...............................................................................1-11
Charge types for electric vehicle............................................ 1-13
Charging information............................................................1-13
Charging time information.................................................. 1-14
Charge indicator lamp for electric vehicle.............................1-16
Charging status information...............................................1-16
Charging connector lock...........................................................1-17
Charging connector AUTO/LOCK mode..............................1-17
Reserved charging.....................................................................1-18
Precautions for charging electric vehicle.............................. 1-19
Charging precautions............................................................1-19
Charging electric vehicle (AC charge).....................................1-21
AC Charge............................................................................... 1-21
Charging electric vehicle (DC charge).....................................1-28
DC Charge ..............................................................................1-28
Charging electric vehicle (trickle charge)...............................1-32
How to Use Trickle Charge...................................................1-32
Trickle charge.........................................................................1-33
Actions to be taken for electric vehicle charging issues.... 1-46
Driving electric vehicle..............................................................1-47
How to start the vehicle...................................................... 1-47
How to stop the vehicle....................................................... 1-47
Virtual Engine Sound System (VESS)................................ 1-48
Distance to empty................................................................ 1-48
Tips for improving distance to empty...............................1-49
Power/Charge Gauge........................................................... 1-50
State of charge (SOC) gauge for high voltage battery.... 1-50
Warning message on LCD display (related to
electric vehicle)......................................................................1-51
Warning and Indicator Lights (related to electric
vehicle).................................................................................... 1-57
Safety precautions for electric vehicle..................................1-59
If an accident occurs.............................................................1-59
Other Precautions for Electric Vehicle...............................1-60
Service Interlock Connector.................................................1-61
Service plug............................................................................ 1-61
Electric vehicle guide
1

REVIEW OF ELECTRIC VEHICLE
An electric vehicle is driven using a bat‐
tery and an electric motor. While gen‐
eral vehicles use an internal combustion
engine and gasoline as fuel, electric ve‐
hicles use electrical energy that is
charged inside the high voltage battery.
As a result, electric vehicles are eco-
friendly in that they do not require fuel
and do not emit exhaust gases.
Characteristics of electric
vehicles
1. It is driven using the electrical ener‐
gy that is charged inside the high
voltage battery. This method pre‐
vents air pollution since fuel, like
gasoline, is not required, negating
the emission of exhaust gases.
2. A high performance motor is used
in the vehicle as well. Compared to
standard, internal combustion en‐
gine vehicles, engine noise and vi‐
brations are much more minimal
when driving.
3. When decelerating or driving down‐
hill, regenerative braking is utilized
to charge the high voltage battery.
This minimizes energy loss and in‐
creases the distance to empty.
4. When the battery charge is not
sufficient, AC Charge, DC Charge
and trickle charge are available.
(Refer to “Charge Types for Electric
Vehicle” on page 1-13 for details.)
NOTICE
What does regenerative braking do?
It uses an electric motor when de‐
celerating and braking and trans‐
forms kinetic energy to electrical en‐
ergy in order to charge the high
voltage battery.
Battery information
• The vehicle is composed of a high
voltage battery that drives the motor
and air-conditioner, and an auxiliary
battery (12 V) that drives the lamps,
wipers, and audio system.
• The auxiliary battery is automatically
charged when the vehicle is in the
ready ( ) mode or the high voltage
battery is being charged.
Electric vehicle guide
1-02

MAIN COMPONENTS OF ELECTRIC VEHICLE
•On-Board Charger (OBC): External de‐
vice (low speed) to charge the high
voltage battery.
•Inverter: Transforms direct current
into alternate current to supply pow‐
er to the motor, and transforms al‐
ternate current into direct current to
charge the high voltage battery.
•LDC: Transforms power from the
high voltage battery to low voltage
(12 V) to supply power to the vehicle
(DC-DC).
•VCU: Functions as a supervisory con‐
troller of electric vehicle
•Motor: Uses electrical energy stored
inside the high voltage battery to
drive the vehicle (functions like an en‐
gine in a standard vehicle).
•Reduction Gear: Delivers rotational
force of the motor to the tires at ap‐
propriate speeds and torque.
•High voltage battery (lithiumion poly‐
mer): Stores and supplies power nec‐
essary for the electric vehicle to op‐
erate (12 V auxiliary battery provides
power to the vehicle features such as
lights and wipers).
❈OBC : On-Board Charger
❈LDC : Low Voltage DC-DC Converter
1-03
1
Electric vehicle guide

❈VCU: Vehicle Control Unit
WARNING
• Do not intentionally remove or dis‐
assemble high voltage components
and high voltage battery connec‐
tors and wires. Also, be careful not
to damage high voltage compo‐
nents and the high voltage bat‐
tery. It may cause serious injury
and significantly impact the per‐
formance and durability of the ve‐
hicle.
• When inspection and maintenance
is required for high voltage compo‐
nents and the high voltage bat‐
tery, have the vehicle inspected by
a professional workshop. Kia rec‐
ommends to contact an authorized
Kia dealer/service partner.
High voltage battery (lithium-
ion polymer)
• The charge amount of the high volt‐
age battery may gradually decrease
when the vehicle is not driving.
• The battery capacity of the high volt‐
age battery may decrease when the
vehicle is stored in high/low tempera‐
tures.
• Distance to empty may vary depend‐
ing on the driving conditions, even if
the charge amount is the same. The
high voltage battery may expend
more energy when driving at Quicks
or uphill. These actions may reduce
the distance to empty.
• The high voltage battery is used
when using the air-conditioner /
heater. This may reduce the distance
to empty. Make sure to set moderate
temperatures when using the air-
conditioner/heater.
• Natural degradation may occur with
the high voltage battery depending
on the number of years the vehicle is
used. This may reduce the distance
to empty.
• When the charge capacity and dis‐
tance to empty keep falling, have
your vehicle inspected by a professio‐
nal workshop. Kia recommends to
contact an authorized Kia dealer/
service partner.
• If the vehicle will not be in use for an
extended period of time, charge the
high voltage battery once every three
months to prevent it from discharg‐
ing. Also, if the charge amount is not
enough, immediately charge to full
and store the vehicle.
Electric vehicle guide
1-04

• AC Charge is recommended to keep
the high voltage battery in optimal
condition.
If the high voltage battery charge
amount is below 20%, you can keep
the high voltage battery performance
in optimal condition if you charge the
high voltage battery to 100%. (Once
a month or more is recommended.)
CAUTION
• Make sure to use a designated
charger when charging the high
voltage battery. Using different
types of chargers may have a seri‐
ous impact on vehicle durability.
• Make sure that the high voltage
battery charger gauge does not
reach E (Empty). If the vehicle is
kept at E (Empty) for a long peri‐
od, it may damage the high volt‐
age battery and the high voltage
battery may have to be replaced
depending on the level of degrada‐
tion.
(Continued)
(Continued)
• If the vehicle is in a collision, con‐
tact a professional workshop to in‐
spect whether the high voltage
battery is still connected. Kia rec‐
ommends to contact an authorized
Kia dealer/service partner.
CAUTION
The high voltage battery warmer
system operates when the charging
connector is connected to the vehi‐
cle.
However, the high voltage warmer
system may not operate when bat‐
tery temperature drops below
-35°C.
1-05
1
Electric vehicle guide

EV MODE
If you select the “EV” menu at the multi
media screen or press the “EV” button
on the left side of the air intake control
button, you can enter EV mode.
❈The image of EV MODE screen in
this manual may differ from the
actual screen depending on the ve‐
hicle specification and the version
of the multimedia system soft‐
ware. For more information, please
refer to the ‘CAR MULTIMEDIA SYS‐
TEM QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE'.
The EV mode has a total of 5 menus in‐
cluding Available Range, Energy infor‐
mation, Charge management, ECO driv‐
ing and EV settings.
Available range
Select [EV Map] on the screen.
The available range is marked in red on
the map.
Electric vehicle guide
1-06

Energy information
Select [EV Energy information] on
the screen.
You can check information about bat‐
tery and energy consumption
Energy Information
You can check the reachable range,
battery power remaining, and expected
charging time for each charger type.
• The distance to empty is calculated
based on the real-time fuel efficiency
while driving. The distance may
change if the driving pattern
changes.
• The distance to empty may vary ac‐
cording to the change of the driving
pattern even if the same target bat‐
tery charge level is set.
Power Consumption
Select [EV Energy information
Driving range, battery] on the screen.
You can check the current energy con‐
sumption for each system of the vehi‐
cle.
1-07
1
Electric vehicle guide

1. 'Driving' shows the total power and
energy consumption of the driving
motor’s driving energy and regen‐
erative energy.
2. 'Climate' shows the power and en‐
ergy consumption which are used
by the heater or air conditioner.
3. 'Electronics' shows the power and
energy consumption which are
used by the vehicle systems includ‐
ing the cluster, infotainment sys‐
tem (speaker and navigation),
headlamp, vehicle control unit, etc.
4. 'Battery care' shows the momenta‐
ry power and energy consumption
which are used when:
• Operating the winter mode to in‐
crease the battery temperature dur‐
ing winter to improve the driving per‐
formance.
• Cooling down the battery tempera‐
ture during summer to prevent over
temperature of the battery.
Charge Management
Select [EV Charge management] on
the screen.
You can set the date and time of when
to charge the battery, climate control
temperature, location-based charging
options and other various functions.
Reserved Charging and Climate
Control
You can choose the time and the day of
week that you wish to charge the bat‐
tery and operate reserved climate con‐
trol to set the temperature of aircondi‐
tioner/ heater.
Also, you may select the time to start
charging using the off-peak time set‐
ting.
❈The charger and the charging con‐
nector should be connected at the
reserved charging time.
Electric vehicle guide
1-08

Setting Departure Time
You can set the departure time by se‐
lecting EV Charge management
Reserved Charging and Climate Control
Next Departure Time on the
screen.
1. Departure time: Set the time that
you wish to start the vehicle after
charging the battery.
2. Select the day: Set the day of the
week to activate reserved charging
and target temperature for depar‐
ture time.
Off-peak Time settings
Select [EV Charge management
Reserved charging and Climate Control
Reserved Charging on the screen.
You can set off-peak time to charge
the vehicle.
1. Charging begins at the beginning of
the off-peak time’
2. Charging stops at the end of the
off-peak time’
3. Charging mode
• Off-peak tariffs prioritized : If selec‐
ted, starts charging at off-peak time
(may keep on charging pass off-peak
time to charge 100%)
• Off-peak tariffs only: If selected,
charges only within off-peak time
(may not charge 100%)
Climate Control Settings
Select EV Charge management
Reserved charging and Climate Control
Climate Control on the screen.
You can set the climate control tem‐
perature.
1. Setting the climate control temper‐
ature: set the temperature of
heater/air-conditioner.
1-09
1
Electric vehicle guide

Charging Location
If location-based charging is selected,
scheduled charging and target temper‐
ature will be activated at the location
the driver has set. Also, the charging
current can be selected to be applied at
the designated location.
Setting Battery Charge Level
• The target battery charge level can
be selected when charged with AC
Charger or DC Charger.
• The charging level can be changed by
10%.
• If the target battery charge level is
lower than the high voltage battery
charge level, the battery will not be
charged.
Charging Current
• You can adjust the charging current
for an AC Charger. Select an appropri‐
ate charging current for the charger
used.
• If the charging process does not start
or abruptly stops in the middle, re-
select another proper current and re-
try charging the vehicle.
• Charging time varies depending on
which charging current is selected.
• The location-based charging feature
allows you to dualize the charging
current settings at specific locations.
ECO driving
Select [EV ECO Driving] on the
screen.
You can check ECO level information
and ECO driving history.
Electric vehicle guide
1-10

Environment Contribution
Information on CO2 reduction com‐
pared to gasoline-fueled vehicles is dis‐
played.
Eco Driving History
You can check the driving date, driving
distance, and the average energy con‐
sumption rating for the last 30 driving
trips. The date with the highest ECO is
marked with a star-shaped icon.
EV setting
Select ‘EV EV Setting’ on the screen.
You can set Winter Mode, Warning and
EV route functions.
Winter Mode
1-11
1
Electric vehicle guide

• The Winter mode is efficient during
the winter time when the high volt‐
age battery temperature is low. This
mode is recommended to improve
driving and DC charging performan‐
ces during winter by raising the bat‐
tery temperature to an adequate lev‐
el. However, this may reduce the dis‐
tance to empty significantly as the
high voltage battery consumes a lot
more electricity.
• Also, if the battery temperature is
low during driving or when scheduled
air conditioner/heater is activated,
this mode is operated to improve
driving performance.
However, when the battery level is
low, the mode is not operated to en‐
sure driving distance.
❈This mode is available for the vehi‐
cles equipped with the battery
heater.
Warning
Range Warning :
If the destination set in the navigation
cannot be reached with the remaining
battery, a warning message is dis‐
played.
Electric vehicle guide
1-12

CHARGE TYPES FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLE
Charging information
The types of charging include AC
Charge, DC Charge, and trickle charge.
•AC Charge:
We recommend using AC charging for
usual charging of the vehicle. You can
use a AC Charger at public charging
stations and the charging cable (if
equipped) in the cargo compartment
of your car. (Refer to “AC Charge” on
page 1-21.)
•DC Charge:
You can charge at high speeds at
public charging stations. Refer to the
respective company’s manual that is
provided for each DC Charger type.
Battery performance and durability
can deteriorate if the DC Charger is
used constantly.
Use of DC Charge should be mini‐
mized in order to help prolong high
voltage battery life.
•Trickle Charge :
When you cannot drive to a public
charging station due to low battery,
you can charge the car by using the
Portable Charging Cable. (ICCB: In Ca‐
ble Control Box)
Trickle charge is recommended only
in case of emergency because the
use of household electricity may
cause problems associated with elec‐
tricity bills and electrical loads.
1-13
1
Electric vehicle guide

Charging time information
Charging Type City-Type Cruise-Type
AC Charge
Takes about 4 hours and 30
minutes at room tempera‐
ture. (Can be charged to
100%)
Takes about 7 hours room
temperature. (Can be charged
to 100%)
DC Charge
100kW-level charger
Takes about 54 minutes at
room temperature to 80% of
SOC. (Can be charged to
100%)
Takes about 54 minutes at
room temperature to 80% of
SOC. (Can be charged to
100%)
50kW-level charger
Takes about 57 minutes at
room temperature to 80% of
SOC. (Can be charged to
100%)
Takes about 75 minutes at
room temperature to 80% of
SOC. (Can be charged to
100%)
Trickle Charge (230V) Takes about 18 hours at room temperature. (Can be charged
to 100%)
Takes about 29 hours at room
temperature. (Can be charged
to 100%)
❈Depending on the condition and durability of high voltage battery, charger specifications, and ambient temperature, the
time required for charging the high voltage battery may vary.
Category Charging Inlet (Ve‐
hicle) Charging Connector Charging Outlet How to Charge Charging Time
AC Charge
Use the AC Charger
installed at home or
public charging sta‐
tion
City-Type: Approx.
6 hours and 10 mi‐
nutes Cruise-Type:
Approx. 9 hours
and 35 minutes
❈Can be charged
to 100%
Electric vehicle guide
1-14