It's not uncommon for all-new vehicles, especially one with an all-electric powertrain like the Kia EV6, to experience a few hiccups in the first model year. We're not talking about anything catastrophic, but new technologies sometimes lack real-world experience and lessons are quickly learned outside of normal testing. Such as the current situation the South Korean automaker has with its new EV.

According to The Korean Car Blog, via a Korean news outlet, Kia is investigating a mysterious high frequency coming from the EV6 at low speeds that are bothering passengers. An exact cause has yet to be pinpointed. The issue is definitely unusual. The report says that while traveling at about 19 mph and slowing down to just over 6 mph, the EV6 begins to emit a beeping sound.

One driver said the sound "lingers in my ear and I hear the sound made by the car even in my daily life, as if I have a little tinnitus." Another driver claims they have to keep the music on constantly in order to avoid hearing the strange noise. "It is a noise of about 6.3 kilohertz, which is very sensitive to the human ear… It is a small sound in terms of the original sound level, but the low frequency is high because the ambient noise is so low in a car without an internal combustion engine," said a South Korean professor of acoustic engineering.

There does not appear to be any complaints regarding the issue in the US or anywhere else outside of South Korea. The sound is certainly not deadly but is no doubt annoying and a distraction. One possible cause is a malfunctioning sensor. In a worst-case scenario, it's battery-related. Even then a fix is very likely.

What's interesting is that there have yet to be reports of this issue affecting the Hyundai Ioniq 5, the EV6's first cousin which shares the E-GMP dedicated EV platform. Perhaps it already is and no one has reported it yet.