Range does not decide this one — 319 miles EPA for the EV6, 327 for the Model Y, 451 against 455 km observed. The charger does: the Kia’s 800-volt pack goes from 10 to 80 per cent in 17 minutes, the fastest figure in this database, against 27 for the Tesla. What the Model Y offers in return is a second motor, 378 kW against 168, 4 per cent lower running cost and the Supercharger network. In the UK the Kia is about £6,000 cheaper.
What actually differs
- On the EPA highway cycle – the one that decides a long drive – Tesla Model Y Long Range AWD is rated 43 km further than the Kia EV6 84 kWh RWD.
- Tesla Model Y Long Range AWD is 8% more efficient than the Kia EV6 84 kWh RWD, which is what the electricity bill follows.
- Kia EV6 84 kWh RWD charges from 10 to 80 per cent 10 minutes faster than the Tesla Model Y Long Range AWD.
- Kia EV6 84 kWh RWD carries 5 kWh more usable battery than the Tesla Model Y Long Range AWD.
- Kia EV6 84 kWh RWD has 2 more years of battery warranty than the Tesla Model Y Long Range AWD.
Every line above is computed from the table below, not written: a difference is only stated where both cars carry that figure from a named source. Not compared, because at least one car has no sourced value: price.
| Specification | Kia EV6 84 kWh RWD Kia | Tesla Model Y Long Range AWD Tesla |
|---|---|---|
| Market & identity | ||
| Curb weight | 4,519 lb | 4,568 lb |
| Battery | ||
| Cell chemistry LFP tolerates daily charging to 100% and is the most thermally stable; NMC and NCA pack more energy per kilogram. | NMC | NMC |
| Usable capacity The figure every range and cost calculation on this site is based on. | 80.0 kWh | 75.0 kWh |
| Thermal management Active liquid or direct-refrigerant cooling is the strongest single predictor of slow degradation and repeatable fast charging. | liquid-active | liquid-active |
| Pack voltage 800 V architectures hold high charging power for longer and waste less energy as heat. | 697 V | 357 V |
| Capacity loss per year Rate for this vehicle class from published fleet datasets, not a measurement of this model and not a manufacturer claim. | 2.7% / year est | 2.7% / year est |
| Projected state of health at 8 years Modelled from the observed degradation rate at average annual mileage. An estimate, not a measurement. | 78% est | 78% est |
| Range & efficiency | ||
| EPA range US EPA combined cycle, the most conservative of the three official tests. | 319 mi | 327 mi |
| EPA range, city The city half of the EPA combined rating. Usually the higher of the two for an electric car. | 352 mi | 345 mi |
| EPA range, highway The highway half of the EPA combined rating, and the figure to plan a long drive around. | 278 mi | 305 mi |
| WLTP range European combined cycle, typically 15 to 25 percent more optimistic than EPA for the same car. | 362 mi | 364 mi |
| Observed real-world range Mixed-conditions figure from independent testing. This is the number that matters on a road trip. | 280 mi | 283 mi |
| EPA consumption | 29.6 kWh/100 mi | 27.5 kWh/100 mi |
| Real-world consumption | 286 Wh/mi | 266 Wh/mi |
| Charging | ||
| Peak DC power Held briefly, often only inside a narrow state-of-charge window. | 263 kW | 250 kW |
| 10 to 80 percent DC charge time The honest measure of fast-charging speed. | 17 min | 27 min |
| AC onboard charger Sets how fast the car fills up overnight at home. | 11 kW | 11 kW |
| DC connector (Europe) | CCS2 | — |
| DC connector (US) The plug fitted to the car as sold in the United States. Blank where we have not sourced it for that market. | NACS | NACS |
| Performance | ||
| Peak power | 168 kW | 378 kW |
| 0-60 mph | — | — |
| 0-100 km/h | — | 4.8 s |
| Cost of ownership | ||
| Base MSRP (US) | $41,200 | — |
| Base price (EU) | — | €52,990 |
| Est. out-of-warranty pack replacement (US) | — | $12,400 est |
| Battery warranty | 10 yr | 8 yr |
| Est. 5-year residual value | — | — |
| Safety & risk | ||
| NHTSA overall rating | 5/5 | 5/5 |
| Euro NCAP overall rating | 5/5 | 5/5 |
| Battery or high-voltage recalls | 4 | 7 |
| Battery safety score | ||
| Composite score Our own composite of thermal management, cell chemistry, crash rating and recall record. Formula | 6.6 / 10 | 6.5 / 10 |
highlighted marks the better figure for that row. Where a car is not sold in a market, its price and official range for that market are blank rather than converted. est marks a modelled value, explained on the methodology page.
The same range, from different batteries
80 kWh usable in the EV6, 75 in the Model Y, and the Tesla goes fractionally further on both tests — 327 against 319 miles EPA, 455 against 451 km observed — because it is the more efficient car: 27.5 kWh per 100 miles against 29.6, 165 Wh/km against 178 on the road. That efficiency is the whole of the running-cost difference: $5.06 per 100 miles for the Model Y against $5.45 for the EV6 at the US average home rate, about $4 a month at average mileage.
Seventeen minutes against 27
The EV6 has the shortest 10 to 80 per cent time on this site, and it earns it with an 800-volt architecture that holds a 263 kW peak. The Model Y’s 250 kW peak looks close on paper and is not: its 400-volt pack tapers early, and the window takes 27 minutes. The condition is the station — the EV6’s 17 minutes needs a 350 kW post, and on a 150 kW one it takes about 22, still five minutes ahead of the Tesla, which is at its own ceiling there. On range recovered per stop the two are level, so the ten minutes is pure time saved. Both are ranked on fastest-charging electric cars.
At home both take 11 kW; the EV6 fills from empty in about 8.1 hours, the Model Y in 7.6. Neither gains anything from a wallbox above 48 amps, as 7.7 kW against 11.5 kW sets out.
A second motor, and the network
The Model Y Long Range drives all four wheels with 378 kW and reaches 100 km/h in 4.8 seconds; the rear-drive EV6 makes 168 kW. That is a different class of car in winter and a different class of acceleration all year. The Tesla also arrives with the Supercharger network built into its navigation, which for many drivers is worth more than any figure in the table. The EV6 answers with 3.6 kW of vehicle-to-load, which the Tesla does not offer — see electric cars with vehicle-to-load.
Everything else
Both are five-star cars at Euro NCAP (2022) and NHTSA. Weights are within 22 kg of each other. In the UK the EV6 lists at £45,635 against £51,990 for the Model Y — about £6,000 in the Kia’s favour, for the same range and the faster charge.
Which one should you buy
Buy the EV6 if your long trips run through 350 kW stations, you do not need all-wheel drive, and £6,000 and ten minutes per stop sound like real money and real time. It is the joint fastest-charging car we track, level with the Hyundai Ioniq 6, and it gives up no range for it.
Buy the Model Y if you want two motors, the acceleration, or the Supercharger network doing your route planning. It is the slightly cheaper car to run and the more capable one in snow; you pay for that at the till and at the charger.
Frequently asked questions
Does the Kia EV6 charge faster than the Tesla Model Y?
Yes: 17 minutes from 10 to 80 per cent on a 350 kW station against 27 for the Model Y Long Range, and about 22 against 27 on a 150 kW station. The EV6 has the shortest 10-80 time in this database.
Which has more range, the EV6 or the Model Y?
The Model Y, narrowly: 327 miles EPA against 319, and 455 km observed against 451. From a smaller battery — 75 kWh against 80 — because it is the more efficient car.
Is the EV6 cheaper than the Model Y?
In the UK, yes — £45,635 against £51,990 for the Long Range AWD. Per mile the Model Y is the cheaper car to charge, $5.06 against $5.45 per 100 miles at US home rates, which is about $50 a year.
Is the EV6 all-wheel drive?
The 84 kWh RWD compared here is rear-wheel drive with 168 kW. The Model Y Long Range AWD has two motors and 378 kW.
Where these numbers come from
Every figure is credited on the EV6 and Model Y Long Range AWD pages, with its source, its market and the date it was read.