Turatii.ro put the new Kia EV5 to the test on a journey of more than 1,000 km, following the route Bucharest – Bistrița – Bucharest, with charging stops at Eldrive Romania stations along the way. The goal of the test was to evaluate the vehicle's energy consumption, driving range and charging performance in real-world conditions, with three passengers and luggage, across both highways and national roads.
The first charging stop took place at Eldrive Shopping Park Sebeș after approximately 370 km, with an average energy consumption of 20.7 kWh/100 km. The vehicle was charged from 13% to 83% in 30 minutes using a 200 kW charger. Peak charging power reached 152 kW, while the average charging power was 106 kW.
Before heading back to Bucharest, the second charging session took place at the Eldrive charging stations in Bistrița Retail Park. After covering approximately 255 km from Sebeș, the Kia EV5 arrived with 16% battery remaining and was charged to 95–96%. The 150 kW charger delivered a peak charging power of 149 kW, adding 67 kWh of energy, more than enough to continue to the next destination.
The original plan included another charging stop in Sebeș, but the vehicle's range made it possible to continue directly to Sibiu for the final planned charging session. After driving 286.5 km, the Kia EV5 charged at the 200 kW Eldrive station at Lidl Sibiu, going from approximately 23% to 80% in just over 25 minutes.
On the way to the final destination, the route had to be changed due to traffic disruptions on the Olt Valley, requiring a detour through Brașov, Bran and Târgoviște. Even under these conditions, the Kia EV5 completed the test with more than 1,000 km driven and an average energy consumption of approximately 19.8 kWh/100 km.
Throughout the journey, the Kia EV5 stood out for its long-distance comfort, real-world efficiency and consistently strong charging performance across the Eldrive network. The results of this journey demonstrate that long-distance electric travel can be planned and completed with ease when supported by a well-developed network of fast charging stations.
