Kia Cost, a service unique to Kia clients designed to simplify public EV charging, as of February 2023 provides seamless entry to greater than 30,000 connectors within the UK.
The whole variety of connectors obtainable by Kia Cost has grown by 48% to 30,324 up to now 12 months. Inside this the variety of chargers providing peak charging speeds of greater than 100kW has practically tripled (189% development), reflecting operators’ eagerness to facilitate longer journeys.
In comparison with 13,900 connectors when it was launched in February 2021, the whole variety of UK connectors has greater than doubled (up 218%). It displays each the sturdy development in electrical charging infrastructure and Kia’s success at including new operators to its answer, the corporate stated.
Whereas Kia Cost now reaches 26,800 AC chargers (up 49%), greater than 10 %, or 3,500, are speedy DC chargers (50-350kW). Over-100kW chargers account for greater than 900 of those, a quantity rising each month. One of many key high-power charging operators, IONITY, has elevated its connector numbers to 99 (up 32 per cent) throughout 19 UK areas. UK areas will greater than double earlier than the top of the 12 months, with seven extra areas already beneath building. Current websites are additionally being upgraded to supply considerably extra stations. In 2023, a month-to-month common of greater than 5,700 charging classes befell by way of Kia Cost within the UK – a quantity rising each month as extra Kia EV clients signal as much as the service.
The expansion within the 27 completely different charging networks obtainable by Kia Cost offers Kia house owners entry to extra DC connectors within the UK than some other model. Moreover, these networks are all accessible by a single Kia Cost account providing a single month-to-month bill for all public charging.
DC charging is essential to permitting electrical car house owners to recharge rapidly in public whereas touring to a vacation spot.
In 2022, gross sales of Kia plug-in hybrid and totally electrical automobiles contributed closely to Kia’s record-breaking 12 months within the UK, making over 20% of all of the model’s gross sales final 12 months. Up to now in 2023, plug-in and EV gross sales are off to a robust begin totalling greater than 1 / 4 of Kia UK’s gross sales year-to-date.
Absolutely renewable charging
Kia compensates all charging exercise by way of Kia Cost with 100% renewable wind energy. Kia purchases the equal variety of megawatt-hours (MWh) utilized by clients from renewable sources, by way of Assure of Origin certificates. This successfully provides zero-emissions energy to the grid and will increase visibility for inexperienced electrical energy demand available on the market.
The Kia Cost service supplies easy accessibility to chargers throughout all components of the UK and Europe from a single account. In complete, Kia Cost opens entry to greater than 30,000 connectors throughout the UK – equal to roughly 85% of the nationwide public infrastructure – and greater than 450,000 throughout 27 different European nations.
Within the UK, the service encompasses 27 cost level operators, together with key networks corresponding to bp pulse, Ubitricity Shell, Supply London, Instavolt, Pod Level, Osprey and Shell Recharge. The service additionally provides entry to the IONITY high-powered charging community. A single account offers entry to all networks by way of a smartphone app (Android or iOS) or RFID card, with simple month-to-month invoicing.
Alternative of subscriptions and key community bolt-ons: Kia Cost provides a selection of two subscriptions – ‘Simple’ and ‘Plus’ to go well with most consumer profiles.
‘Simple’ customers pay: GBP1.99 one-time activation payment and no month-to-month subscription; 49p session payment per cost (excluding charging inside the Pod Level and bp pulse networks), plus the price of electrical energy.
‘Plus’ customers pay: GBP 2.99 month-to-month subscription payment and the price of electrical energy used; Nobody-time activation prices or session charges within the UK; A 15% low cost on the bottom charging tariff on all UK networks (besides bp pulse, Pod Level or Ionity) e.g. at ESB, Fastned, Osprey, cost.gy, Instavolt, Supply London, Shell Recharge, and others.
As well as, two bolt-on packages can be found: IONITY Energy prices £11.25 a month and reduces the IONITY charging tariff from 69p per kWh to only 25p per kWh within the UK, or €0.29 in most different European nations (typically paying for itself inside a single cost); The bp pulse bolt-on prices £7.85 per 30 days and provides the identical value to customers as the favored bp pulse subscription obtainable instantly from bp
Free charging credit score by way of Kia and ‘&Cost’ partnership: Kia lately launched a brand new initiative, enabling customers to gather credit score without spending a dime EV charging by a partnership with the ‘&Cost’ rewards programme. ‘&Cost’, accessed by way of app, permits customers to gather EV charging credit that may be redeemed by way of the Kia Cost app to pay for public charging classes, lowering the whole price of possession. Prospects can earn credit by offering data and suggestions on public charging stations or by buying at tons of of UK retailers.
Kia EVs and DC fast-charging: The Kia EV6 is without doubt one of the only a few electrical automobiles on sale right now that includes a strong 800V charging system, which permits drivers to cost their automotive from 10-to-80 per cent in simply 18 minutes from chargers delivering 250kW or above (e.g. IONITY, Fastned). The all-new Niro also can recharge from 10-to-80 per cent in simply 43 minutes from stations providing 75kW or extra.
Globally, Kia plans to supply a line-up of 14 EVs by 2027. After EV6 and the all-new Niro EV, the subsequent EV due from the model is the Kia EV9, launching within the UK later in 2023 with the identical 800V rapid-charging expertise because the EV6.
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