How strong is the electric motor of the 2024 Kia Niro HEV?

Hi, I recently got my Kia Niro 2024 and notice that in order to start going on EV mode I have to get my foot off of the brakes and start to accelerate really gently, but really really gently, otherwise the combustion engine kicks in, I’m not sure if the electric motor has lost its strength or if it’s normal. The thing is that in a normal stop-and-go traffic the combustion engine starts working almost 95% of the time then a few seconds later stops working when I stop. There is no warning or error message showing in the dashboard. Is there any way to check if there is something wrong? If you own one of these HEVs, does it happen to you too? How fast can you drive from stop without using the combustion engine?

Yeah that sounds like usual behavior.

RichardMiller said:
Yeah that sounds like usual behavior.

Thanks for sharing the info.

Totally normal I would say, once you get to your cruising speed lift up your feet from the acceleration and the EV mode should kick and stay on if you’re not too abrupt on the gas pedal. Also avoid the sport mode. My average is 4.2L/100KM, my wife’s average is 5L/100km. It’s all about the way you drive. Also, try to use the regen brake to recharge the battery while you drive.

@hoopermalt
Thanks, my daily commute is mostly high stop-and-go traffic, so the engine gets on and off constantly, will it break sooner? :slightly_smiling_face:

petrabrinkman said:
@hoopermalt
Thanks, my daily commute is mostly high stop-and-go traffic, so the engine gets on and off constantly, will it break sooner? :slightly_smiling_face:

Stop pressing the accelerator so hard, I sometimes get 70-100mpg in the city because I’m in EV mode the majority of the time

@Sung
That’s the issue, I don’t press it so hard, I think with about 40hp the electric engine should be capable of moving the car a little more without turning on the combustion engine. We are talking about the HEV version, right?

My fix is to be in sports mode when starting from a stop. Stays in battery mode longer and needs less pressure on the accelerator. Switch to non-sports mode once you get going.

Smart said:
My fix is to be in sports mode when starting from a stop. Stays in battery mode longer and needs less pressure on the accelerator. Switch to non-sports mode once you get going.

I don’t think this is right. My understanding is that when you’re in sport mode, the computer doesn’t allow the car to go into EV mode.
On your main question, this is the way it’s supposed to work. In very good circumstances with a baby foot, you may get up to 40 km/h if you’re really gentle.
You’ll eventually learn to just enjoy the driving and let the car do its thing. I was the same when I got it trying to squeeze every last inch of fuel efficiency, and I soon realized it detracts from your enjoyment of the driving and doesn’t make much of a difference in reality.

@Lilyharper
Thanks, I think I’m at the same stage, trying to get the most out of the fuel, LOL

Smart said:
My fix is to be in sports mode when starting from a stop. Stays in battery mode longer and needs less pressure on the accelerator. Switch to non-sports mode once you get going.

Haven’t tried that, I’ll give it a shot. Thanks

There’s a lot of variables (battery charge, if you’re on an incline, if you’re in an Eco or a green zone, etc). Usually, the EV mode doesn’t kick in unless you’re cruising or accelerating really slowly. I’d recommend just letting the car do its thing.

@rick
Thanks, this is my first hybrid, so I thought they always started on electric mode then after some speed they switched to combustion. Looks like I was wrong :slightly_smiling_face:

petrabrinkman said:
@rick
Thanks, this is my first hybrid, so I thought they always started on electric mode then after some speed they switched to combustion. Looks like I was wrong :slightly_smiling_face:

That’s the behavior of a plug-in hybrid

petrabrinkman said:
@rick
Thanks, this is my first hybrid, so I thought they always started on electric mode then after some speed they switched to combustion. Looks like I was wrong :slightly_smiling_face:

That’s true for the PHEV, not so much for the HEV.

Your HEV is operating exactly as it should. Mine has 142,000 miles on it and I have an hour meter that tells me how many hours of gasoline vs hours of electric. The ratio varies a little bit, but is generally 65% gasoline and 35% electric. Gasoline hours include hybrid (meaning both energy sources are used). I do get EPA mileage, so my numbers must be pretty close to what Kia designed these cars to do.

@Mason
Thanks for the info, may I ask what hour meter you use to check on that? Is that some feature in Kia’s system? Considering you are on 142k miles right now, have you changed your high-voltage battery? What is the spanning life of that battery?

@petrabrinkman
The hour meter is a $10 Amazon special, not Kia. It has a wire that senses when the spark plug fires. I put the exact same one on my lawnmower so I know when it’s oil change time.
I have done nothing except normal maintenance stuff. My Niro has only ever been back to a dealer once for the blown main fuse replacement.
I have never had a single recall or TSB done either. The battery works exactly the same as it did at mile 1, no reason to even consider changing it.
It does eat tires, but I insist on sticky high-performance tires, so that’s my fault. Pirelli P Zeros are fantastic!
Now…I need to find some wood to knock on.

@Mason
LOL, that last line made me chuckle. Thanks for letting me know how reliable this car/brand is, first time with Kia for me. Regarding that main fuse blown, I’ve read other posts that it happens for traveling too much on highway charging the battery up to the limit. Was that your case? Or is it a myth?

@petrabrinkman
Myth…fuses were just manufactured incorrectly by the supplier. Happened over 100,000 miles ago.