In our previous chapter, what my colleague elegantly called the penultimate verdict was made as we wound down our long-term test drive of a 2020 Kia Niro EV. That meant, thoughtfully, leaving the ULTIMATE verdict to me.
The experts I consulted about this confirmed that brakes are a priority to watch during inspections of EVs. Good to know. Newer cars have taken upon themselves to monitor your vehicle’s right side as well, in some cases relaying a video to the dashboard. The 2020 Niro EV did not have this right-side sensor.
I also like the Niro’s sober, unassuming design. Makers of the first EVs often thought they had to give them Star Trek-inspired shapes and contours. The Niro doesn't play the “cutting edge” card. The only signs that betray its all-electric status are some turquoise accents on the body; those represent a very minor, discreet concession to modernity, even as they often helped me spot the otherwise everyman-looking car in the Costco parking lot.
Speaking of experts, I'd like to thank: Yan Gosselin, agronomist from Montmagny, Yannick Lemelin, customer service coordinator at BEQ Technology, Maxence Huard-Lefebvre, spokesperson for Hydro-Québec, Sylvain Bouffard, director of communications and public affairs at AddÉnergie, Didier Marsaud, director of corporate communications at Nissan, Hugues Bissonnette, national director of Polestar, and Daniel Breton, president and CEO of Electric Mobility Canada.