[GOTMISTER]

Hi.I have just bought a 67 Reg Niro 2,had it about 10 days now.Really nice car but I am struggling to find the best way to drive it.Is my first auto but driven loads before.Foot handbrake has taken a bit of getting used to but nearly there now.
The main problem is when I start it first thing the engine races as if the choke was Full on,sometimes takes up to a minute before it goes off.As it was delivered I have not driven it on a motorway/dual carriageway and have just used A roads and round our local town till I get used to it.This is where it gets a bit confusing start off in EV mode and have kept to the speed limits.A,, good so far but I have found that the engine kicks in even when doing 20/30mph under low throttle.Stop at lights set off in EV and the same thing happens,park up for shopping etc come back 20 mins later start up and the engine is racing again and takes up to 30 secs to cut off.
Is it my driving style or a possible engine management problem.I read all the on line reviews on the Niro and the biggest selling point was the need to only use EV mode around town and local roads..Advise please.Gotmiester.

 

[iuygoig]

Far from expert with EVs but this appears to me to be a car which is doing it's best to charge a depleted traction battery. Do you have a battery capacity display?

 

[iooi]

Assuming we are talking HEV here.
When you say engine races, what sort of rev's are we talking about?

While I'm sure there is logic to the switch between EV & ICE, I find when it does to be odd. I do not know if your has a battery indicator for the EV battery, but mine will still use ICE even when +75% full, or EV when less than 50%. Speed does not seem to be a issue.
Still working out if it is better to take it easy up to speed and then drop back & hope EV kicks in or give it beans upto limit and then ease off & hope EV kicks in.

I am just driving it as a ICE car and when EV kicks in enjoying the lack of petrol usage. As there seems to be no real way to keep it in EV mode.

 

[GOTMISTER]

Far from expert with EVs but this appears to me to be a car which is doing it's best to charge a depleted traction battery. Do you have a battery capacity display?

HI.Yes there is a battery capacity indicator which was showing full when I took delivery of the car.still showing g well over half full now.

 

[GOTMISTER]

Assuming we are talking HEV here.
When you say engine races, what sort of rev's are we talking about?

While I'm sure there is logic to the switch between EV & ICE, I find when it does to be odd. I do not know if your has a battery indicator for the EV battery, but mine will still use ICE even when +75% full, or EV when less than 50%. Speed does not seem to be a issue.
Still working out if it is better to take it easy up to speed and then drop back & hope EV kicks in or give it beans upto limit and then ease off & hope EV kicks in.

I am just driving it as a ICE car and when EV kicks in enjoying the lack of petrol usage. As there seems to be no real way to keep it in EV mode.

HI Thanks for your reply,.The engine make the same noise as when it is started first time during the day like a choke on full then goes slightly off after ab out after a minute and the fully off.The thing is after a 4 or5 mile journey and a break of ab out 30 minutes when I start the engine again it makes the same sound as when it is first started and again takes up to a minute to go off and I set off on EV.That is when the engine starts up under gentle accelaration really confusing as all the reviews I read go on about just toddling along on EV, adios petrol

 

[iooi]

No chance in a self charging car. Best you will get is about 2 miles on a flat road before ice kicks in. Well that is the most I have managed.

Ice will kick in on most starts unless it is pretty warm (tip turn air con temp down & use heated seats/steering wheel) as ICE is needed to heat car. So winter means it will fire up when cold. But you can still be driving under EV power. (check energy display to show what is doing what)

Battery level will go up and down very quickly on your drives. Mine varies between just under full to just under half.
Revs on ICE on tickover should be less than 1K. Might go slightly higher on a real sub zero morning for a short period.


EV Battery on HEV is very small.1.56kWh Li-ion polymer battery (no max range quoted)
PHEV 8.9kWh Li-ion polymer battery has a max range 30 miles. So these will allow local trips under full EV. But need to be plugged in to charge up.

Good news is mine is ave 46.3 MPG in the 2 months I have had it, and this is local mileage (max 25 a trip) and some cold weather.

 

[AlanHo]

My March 2017 Niro 2 Hybrid has two batteries.

The Li-Ion battery under the rear seat that is the traction battery. This is charged by the ICE and the electric motor/generator when decelerating. The car's ICU decides when this happens and is a World of mystery and intrigue. I gave up long ago trying to work out when and why.

The second battery is a small sealed lead acid one, On my car it is hiding inside the right-hand side boot lining and accessed through a hatch. This powers all other electrical functions including lighting, instruments, engine starter etc.

Hence, when you start the car it is this battery that provides the juice and being small needs to be recharged regularly. I believe that if later models then mine, this battery is not under the rear seat and is possibly a lo-ion one.

The battery charge indicator shows the charge level of the li-ion traction battery and I have often seen that when starting the car - even when this is shown as virtually fully charged, the engine still runs when the car is stationary. Wait long enough when stationary and the engine will eventually stop, presumably after the second battery is recharged. Once, in the early days of ownership and my curiosity was at a peak, one evening I fully recharged the small battery with a trickle charger. The following morning, when stating the car, the ICE still came on when the car was stationary - but only for a very short time.

The car has a 7 year warranty - If you still have concerns - ask your KIA registered dealer to check it.

 

[dave1978]

My March 2017 Niro 2 Hybrid has two batteries.

The Li-Ion battery under the rear seat that is the traction battery. This is charged by the ICE and the electric motor/generator when decelerating. The car's ICU decides when this happens and is a World of mystery and intrigue. I gave up long ago trying to work out when and why.

The second battery is a small sealed lead acid one, On my car it is hiding inside the right-hand side boot lining and accessed through a hatch. This powers all other electrical functions including lighting, instruments, engine starter etc.

Hence, when you start the car it is this battery that provides the juice and being small needs to be recharged regularly. I believe that if later models then mine, this battery is not under the rear seat and is possibly a lo-ion one.

The battery charge indicator shows the charge level of the li-ion traction battery and I have often seen that when starting the car - even when this is shown as virtually fully charged, the engine still runs when the car is stationary. Wait long enough when stationary and the engine will eventually stop, presumably after the second battery is recharged. Once, in the early days of ownership and my curiosity was at a peak, one evening I fully recharged the small battery with a trickle charger. The following morning, when stating the car, the ICE still came on when the car was stationary - but only for a very short time.

The car has a 7 year warranty - If you still have concerns - ask your KIA registered dealer to check it.

My 18-plate HEV invariably starts the engine from cold, even in the summer - was told by the service manager that this is to provide heat into the radiator cooling system to heat demister/defroster on cold mornings. It very quickly switches off and occasionally on a very warm day will start off on electric power. It all happens so seamlessly that I ignore it now. The lead/acid battery in mine is in the front LH corner of the engine bay.

 

[iooi]

The second battery is a small sealed lead acid one, On my car it is hiding inside the right-hand side boot lining and accessed through a hatch. This powers all other electrical functions including lighting, instruments, engine starter etc.

I have yet to discover where or even if I have one (2020 model)... If there is, I can only think it is under the rear seat. But no way am I taking it to bits to find out. 😂

 

[GOTMISTER]

Far from expert with EVs but this appears to me to be a car which is doing it's best to charge a depleted traction battery. Do you have a battery capacity display?

Hi.Thanks for replying.Yes the battery capacity was showing 3/4 full when I got it and has never gone below half.

 

[GOTMISTER]

My 18-plate HEV invariably starts the engine from cold, even in the summer - was told by the service manager that this is to provide heat into the radiator cooling system to heat demister/defroster on cold mornings. It very quickly switches off and occasionally on a very warm day will start off on electric power. It all happens so seamlessly that I ignore it now. The lead/acid battery in mine is in the front LH corner of the engine bay.

HI Thank you for your reply.It all is a bit strange to me never having had a hybrid/auto before.Its just the engine racing everytime I start it is confusing me and seems to defeat the object of saving Co2 emissions.

 

[GOTMISTER]

My 18-plate HEV invariably starts the engine from cold, even in the summer - was told by the service manager that this is to provide heat into the radiator cooling system to heat demister/defroster on cold mornings. It very quickly switches off and occasionally on a very warm day will start off on electric power. It all happens so seamlessly that I ignore it now. The lead/acid battery in mine is in the front LH corner of the engine bay.

Hi Thank you for replying.Its just confusing this old 72 year old brain.About 95% of my journeys are tootling about in my locality and that was the reason I got a hybrid thinking it would be mainly EV trips.Maybe should have considered a Toyota as these have a EV only button but the Niro is so much better looking.

 

[GOTMISTER]

I have yet to discover where or even if I have one (2020 model)... If there is, I can only think it is under the rear seat. But no way am I taking it to bits to find out. 😂

Thank you for your Reply Alan.It might just be and my 72 year old brain. Easily confused the boss says "chill out" you wanted a hybrid.

 

[GOTMISTER]

HI Thank you for your reply.It all is a bit strange to me never having had a hybrid/auto before.Its just the engine racing everytime I start it is confusing me and seems to defeat the object of saving Co2 emissions.

Hi again.When I first started it up after is was delivered I thought the starter motor was duff as there was no ignition sound biput it had started as I could rev the engine.Does it have a conventional starter motor or is it another bit of South Korean magic.

 

[Llanigraham]

I have yet to discover where or even if I have one (2020 model)... If there is, I can only think it is under the rear seat. But no way am I taking it to bits to find out. 😂

On the Mk2 models there is no separate 12v battery, it uses elements of the Li-on batteries.

 

[iooi]

On the Mk2 models there is no separate 12v battery, it uses elements of the Li-on batteries.

Hi thanks. I thought that was the case.

 

[iooi]

.Does it have a conventional starter motor or is it another bit of South Korean magic.

Simple answer. No in the sense that we are used too on a ICE engine.

Korean magic, not really.

 

[dave1978]

Hi again.When I first started it up after is was delivered I thought the starter motor was duff as there was no ignition sound biput it had started as I could rev the engine.Does it have a conventional starter motor or is it another bit of South Korean magic.

It uses the "electric generator system" in reverse as the starter - push volts back in and it turns the engine! In years gone by this was known as a "dynastarter" and was used on most 1950's minicars. I had NSU Prinz 30 and before that a Goggomobil and they both worked by reversing the polarity on the dynamo, which was mounted directly on the crankshaft. So, I nearly had a hybrid in the early '60s

 

[iooi]

I had a good example today of what @GOTMISTER is talking about. Long stretch around 1 mile of 30 mph road which has a slight down hill. At the end is a set of traffic lights. So all the way down it was showing EV drive, very light accelerator pressure. Got to the traffic lights 75% battery. Stopped. ICE engine fires up, straight away. Crazy. Then proceeded to stay under ICE (flat road) for the next 1/2 mile before switching back to EV.
To my mind it could easily stayed under EV till dropping to 50%.

I'm sure the computer had a good reason for it. But I can not think of one

 

[Llanigraham]

A lot depends on what other (electrical) things you have running at the time. For example I never turn my air con off, so that adds a load. Even having the radio on can effect it, as can the ambient air temperature. There are so many variables.