Kia’s first EVs with Tesla NACS ports debuted this year, giving them a much wider range of charging options in the wild. The automaker is now giving owners another charging upgrade with Plug & Charge functionality.
The automaker said it would roll the feature out by the end of 2025. It works with the Kia Charge Pass system, allowing owners of eligible EVs to pull in and charge without fiddling with payment details. Billing and authentication happen automatically, as long as the user has a valid payment method attached to their account. The EV6 is scheduled for the upgrade by the end of September, while the newer EV9 will take a few months longer.
Kia’s connected car and mobility director, Sujith Somasekharan, said, “With Plug & Charge, we’re making the EV experience more user-friendly than ever. Our goal is to make electrified mobility effortless, secure, and connected – and this technology brings us one step closer to that reality.”
Many charging stations support Plug & Charge, including Electrify America and Tesla Superchargers. The feature has been available for a while in other models, but we may see more vehicles gain the technology as automakers shift to Tesla plugs. Rivian and Volkswagen owners already have access to the technology, though some are limited to certain charging brands. That said, many owners can use Tesla Superchargers with an adapter, and the move to a NACS port means an adapter is needed to charge on a CCS1 connector.
[Images: Kia]
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