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Kia is bringing Plug&Charge to its electric vehicles in Europe. Plug&Charge will be available with the EV9 upon launch and will gradually be rolled out to future Kia electrified models1. This charging technology allows Kia customers to connect their EV with any Plug&Charge capable public charging station. There is no additional identification or intermediate step needed to start the charging process, as authentication is fully automated. With the introduction of Plug&Charge to its EVs, Kia offers their customers the latest in fast, secure, and convenient charging technology.
“Plug&Charge is a very convenient technology that offers decreased manual handling, resulting in a faster, smoother process for our customers,” says Sjoerd Knipping, Vice President of Marketing and Product at Kia Europe. “By offering our customers electric vehicles as well as the most advanced charging solutions, we’re smoothing the way for the switch to sustainable mobility, as well as proving ourselves to be serious contenders in the highly competitive EV market in Europe.”
Fully automated, easy, and secure charging
Plug&Charge is essentially an identification method built directly into the vehicle that allows the car to communicate with Plug&Charge capable charging stations. The customer simply connects their vehicle with the charging station to automatically begin the charging process. The service has all bases covered in terms of security, as no additional steps are needed. Up to now, the customer first needed to verify their account at the charging point before initiating charging, which was usually done with either an RFID card or via mobile app like Kia Charge.
The fully secure Plug&Charge service utilises an automated exchange of digital certificates between car and charger, which identifies the customer’s account and associated charging contract with the driver’s Kia Charge account. The Hubject Plug&Charge ecosystem manages this exchange of certificates between Plug&Charge stakeholders: charging point operators (CPO), mobility operators (MO) and original equipment manufacturers (OEM). This communication conforms with the international standard ISO 15118.
Plug&Charge will simplify the charging process, without negating the benefits of the Kia Charge app: its navigation function, real-time updates on charging fees and availability; and the ability to apply filter options such as plug type, charging speed, and access type inform EV drivers of available public EV charging infrastructure at speed. Using this seamless charging technology, the customer can simply disconnect their car once charging is complete and drive away, while the payment will be added to their monthly bill in accordance with the terms of their contract.
“Together with our partners such as DCS (mobility provider), Hubject (Plug&Charge service provider), and several network partners like IONITY, we at Kia are using all available technology to improve customer experience” concluded Knipping. Plug&Charge joins Kia Connect and Kia Charge in Kia’s portfolio of advanced charging technologies.