Hey Dad, what does this purple button do? My 5-year-old posits the question from one of his romps in the cargo hatch of our long-term 2022 Kia EV6. We’re plugged in at a local ChargePoint and killing time. He’s using the car as a jungle gym. I’m sipping coffee and enjoying some phone time. The question is mildly alarming. What the hell has he come across back there while I’m deleting work e-mails?
I open the cargo hold, and darned if he isn’t right. There’s a circular cover on the passenger side of the trunk. Twist it, and there’s a purple button. It’s more of a level, really, and you have to pull it. This is a manual disengagement switch for the charger, the emergency release. Basically, if the charger gets stuck in your EV6, this decouples it.
I had no idea. After scanning the 504-page owner’s manual, consulting with some Kia forums, flummoxing the Autoblog editors and exhausting Google, I reached out to Kia public relations, who explained it. “This is the override to disconnect a charge cable if it’s stuck,” a spokesperson said.
There’s actually a pamphlet online for the emergency release, if you know what to look for.
So there you have it. Don’t push the purple button. Pull it — and only if you need to. Watch the video below for my experience.
@autoblog 2022 Kia EV6 Manual Charger Release
#carsoftiktok
♬ original sound – Autoblog
