between Jean and Bruno, who was the first driver to pass 500,000 km in a Kia e-Niro?

Following an article dedicated to Jean whose electric Kia Niro for VTC use was approaching 500,000 km, Bruno, at the head of a taxi company in Creuse, challenged him to be the first to succeed in this step. Both counters crossed the threshold. Who first?

Launch of the challenge

In June 2024, Jean sent us a photo of the odometer of his 2019 Kia e-Niro with 458,927 km on the odometer. This article followed a first published at the end of December 2021 and in which the VTC driver already hoped to take his Korean electric car up to at least 500,000 km. This he estimated to be achievable in a little over three years, that is to say during the year 2025. The vehicle's instrument cluster already showed more than 200,000 km.

At the beginning of last summer, we imagined that this road professional who is very committed to safety and welcoming passengers could achieve his objective quietly during September 2024. It was counting without Bruno who threw Jean the friendly challenge from the first of the two Kia e-Niros to reach 500,000 km.

Because he also had one at that time in his fleet with a close mileage, and even higher, having exceeded 475,000 km. Which promised a new article for the start of the school year reporting the results. Did both cars pass the test with their original batteries? If so, who managed to do it before the other?

Winner: the Kia e-Niro which transported Frédérick Bousquet!

It was finally Jean the VTC who first sent us the photo of his speedometer showing more than 500,000 km. It was September 30, 2024. He explains: “ I didn't realize it right away. I was on a national road in the Paris region with a customer in the car. I was in Euphoria, very happy ».

In this vehicle which transported the medal-winning swimmer Frédérick Bousquet a few years ago, occasional travelers have sometimes recognized the driver: “ Since the interview last June, people have asked me about my car. I replied that, for me, it is the most reliable. I feel like an ambassador for this model. Now many people who were afraid of electric are seeing that it works, as charging stations are growing ».

Jean got into the habit of decorating the interior of his car with flowers, giving rise to anecdotes: “ One day, some retirees told me it was the first time they had traveled in a garden car. I told them that I was not Jean Dujardin, but Jean in a garden car. I still remember the fit of giggles we experienced afterwards. In traffic jams, I like to bring smiles to people of all ages and all origins who get into my car ».

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Fair-play

« He is strong! I congratulate him, because he rode very well! », replied Bruno when we told him that Jean had already crossed the 500,000 km threshold. It's true that the VTC driver had to make up the 15,000 km he was behind. In Creuse, it didn't matter much, as the rest of our exchange of messages with the taxi driver shows: “ For us, the 500,000 km will be completed tomorrow during the day without any difficulty. ».

Indeed, the next day, Tuesday October 1, 2024, we received the second photo, this time with the counter displaying these figures exactly. At the wheel of the white Kia e-Niro, Cathy, Bruno Besse taxi employee: “ When I arrived at 500,000 km in the vicinity of Bussière-Dunoise, I stopped the car at the side of the road and took a photo of the speedometer. I was transporting a client who was almost home. He wondered what was going on. He was very positive about this performance ».

Bruno explains: “ We could have forced the game by having several drivers run on this Niro. We would then have arrived well before the 500,000 km mark. But Cathy owns this car and wanted to do it. As Jean is a VTC, she is happy to be able to say that she is the first taxi to cross 500,000 km in France with this car ».

“I was reluctant about electric”

At 59 years old, Cathy has been driving taxis for around fifteen years. She has been using her Kia e-Niro from February 2019 for around 5 years: “ The year this car arrived, we all spent a bit of time on it to familiarize ourselves with electrics. But, for the last 400,000 kilometers, it was only me who drove it. I love it and even consider it my car, even though it belongs to the company ».

However, at the start, the Creuse professional was not convinced: “ I was hesitant about going electric, because we drive a lot. Finally, I was able to see that the autonomy of the Kia e-Niro is sufficient “. At Bruno, out of 15 vehicles, in addition to the 4 Kia ​​e-Niros there are also 2 Volkswagen ID.3s: “ Electric cars were mainly adopted by women in the company ».

She remembers the mocking welcome from a colleague during her first trip: “ I went to the Limoges University Hospital. Someone asked me this: 'So, are you happy with your pile?'. Today he also runs on a battery. In Creuse, Taxis Besse were the first to have electric vehicles ».

Always very satisfactory autonomy

At 500,000 km, are the two Kia e-Niros still able to provide service with the original battery? Yes for Jean the VTC: “ Since the interview last June, I have maintained my habits of riding it a lot every day “. When the new interview was taken, he was preparing to take his vehicle to the dealership: “ This is first for the normal service, then for a small display problem on the handset. I plan to continue using this car for a few more months before replacing it with a Kia EV9 ».

The answer to the question is also affirmative for Cathy: “ This is a model that ages very well. It did not appear to move either inside or out. It's a fun car to drive, comfortable and the right height for medical transport customers. It has zero faults for me, or almost: the lighting is not great ».

Autonomy and consumption remain encouraging. Cathy admits to having a rather heavy foot on the accelerator: “ In summer, my consumption is between 13 and 14 kWh/100 km. There, with lower temperatures, I get 15.3 kWh, but I still have a little more than 400 km of real autonomy while the display showed me 410 this morning before leaving “. At Jean, the figures are a little more promising at the start of November 2024: “ The car still gives me 520 km of range after recharging. My consumption has just increased to 13.5 kWh ».

Future of the two Kia e-Niros

In Creuse, Cathy is not ready to let go of the wheel of her Kia e-Niro: “ Getting this electric car to pass 500,000 km was my initial challenge. We will now bring it to 750,000 km, I'm sure, and maybe even to 900,000 “. Bruno confirms this long-term view: “ We will extend it for at least 30 months if all goes well. My ideal would be for it to be double the size of a thermal. We'll see how far she goes. I even hope for a million kilometers. I want to show that although electric ones are more expensive to purchase, they are much less expensive to operate. ».

For him, the calculation is quickly done: “ It's a car that drives particularly well. It is paid and amortized. Every day of service, she saves us money. We have just ordered two snow tires for this winter. If we need to replace bearings or shock absorbers, we will do it. But if the high voltage battery fails, we will shut it down ».

On his company’s Volkswagen ID.3s, he has already noted that “ running gears are a little more fragile “. From now on, he intends to continue with Kia for its next electric taxis: “ It's a brand that doesn't look down on the customer, that builds good cars and provides good service. I place her at the level of the Japanese for all this ».

Twists and turns

Bruno would like to do a double take: “ Since Jean plans to part with her e-Niro in a few months, I would like to buy it back from her and also see how far she wants to go. Provided of course that it is for sale for a correct amount taking into account its high mileage. ».

The price may well be the stumbling block to this project, because the VTC driver does not intend to sell off his vehicle: “ For me it is an exceptional car. I don't want to part with it for almost nothing ».

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If the two men were able to come to an agreement, does the Creuse taxi driver realize the risk he would take in recovering Jean's car? “ I've had my own ideas about this for a long time. When my electric cars can no longer provide service, but lithium modules could still be used, I could use them to stationary store the production of the solar panels already installed on the roof of my company ».

Automobile Propre and I thank Cathy, Jean and Bruno very much for their trust, their sympathy and the new testimonials that we requested.

In order not to discourage our readers from testifying in the future, any derogatory comments about our interviewees, their lives, their choices, and/or their ideas will be deleted. Thank you for your understanding.