Since its launch in September 2021 together with the Kia EV6, Kia Charge has been the overall umbrella for all charging activities for Kia Europe, for public and business customers. In this short time, the service has now exceeded 100,000 subscriptions, a substantial milestone on Kia’s journey towards becoming the number one electric mobility brand in Europe.
Kia Charge currently provides access to more than 700,000 charging points in 28 countries across Europe, with 60 per cent of Kia electric vehicle buyers using the service. Customers have already combined to complete more than two million charging sessions using either their card or activating the charging process through the Kia Charge app.
The Kia Charge service is part of the company’s strategy to make electric driving more accessible to a wider range of drivers. It ensures that Kia customers get the best technology and services that simplify and enhance their EV journeys.
“The rising popularity of Kia Charge is proof that the consolidated one-contract concept is exactly what customers need, helping them to easily access charging stations where and when they want,” said Martin Enthofer, Director Customer Experience strategy and solutions at Kia Europe. “The service also offers full price transparency, without any hidden expenses, for a charging network that continues to grow every week.”
Kia Charge offers customers with varying needs – who charge at home, charge at work, use the public charging network or charge on highways – a single service for charging, including route planning, authentication, account management and payment. Customers can select the tariff that is right for them, with “Easy”, a no-subscription pay-as-you-go option, or “Plus”, for intensive usage with a subscription that offers a discounted price.
This seamless e-mobility is supported by a dedicated app and website. Kia Charge provides easy and comfortable access to public charging infrastructure within the Kia network. It also enables customers to access public charging stations of different operators, both in the home country, as well as in other European countries. The Kia Charge network has around 700,000 charging points in 28 European countries, whereas the IONITY network (included in the Kia Charge network) currently has more than 600 charging locations and more than 3,600 HPC charging points in 24 European countries. And, as announced during the Kia 2024 CEO investor day, Kia will support in the expansion of more than 17,000 high power charging stations along European highways by 2030 through its partnership with IONITY.
Supporting Kia Charge is the Kia EV Route Planner, with the vehicle’s navigation system detecting charging stations along the route and adding them as waypoints automatically. This connected solution extends to include showing points of interest which can be added along the way, offering further convenience for drivers while enhancing the overall charging experience. The same map is shared between the Kia Charge app and the vehicle infotainment system, so all charging points are findable irrespectively of the tool you use.
Looking ahead, the company is developing further solutions to enable customers to use Kia Charge to manage their EV charging at their home or workplace, and take advantage of bidirectional charging, such as Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) and Vehicle-to-Home (V2H). A pilot project in the Netherlands is currently looking at ways to enrich the Kia Charge experience, with the addition of solar panels, energy by Vattenfall and smart charging (V1G). The objective is to improve the daily charging experience, charge using green energy and relieve power grid congestion during peak usage.
Finally, to make electro mobility truly sustainable, it is essential that every part of the value chain is considered, and charging is one of the most important factors. Kia Charge therefore promotes the use of renewable energy and ensures that the equivalent amount of energy consumed during charging events is fed into the electricity grid as green electricity. This compensation for the amount of energy consumed is achieved through so-called Guarantees of Origin.
