Kia introduces seamless EV charging technology Plug&Charge

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 the remainder of Kia’s electrified fleet. 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, VicePresident 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 competitiveEV 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 and Charge joins Kia Connect, Kia Charge and Kia SmartCharging in Kia’s portfolio of advanced charging technologies.

About Kia Europe  

Kia Europe is the European sales and manufacturing division of Kia Corporation – a global mobility brand that is creating innovative, pioneering and leading sustainable mobility solutions for consumers, communities and societies around the world. As a SustainableMobility Solutions Provider, Kia is spearheading the popularization of electrified and battery electric vehicles and developing a growing range of mobility services, encouraging people around the world to explore the best ways of getting around.

Kia Europe, headquartered inFrankfurt, Germany, employs in total over 5,500 employees from 37 nationalities in 39 markets across Europe and the Caucasus. It also oversees European production at the company’s state-of-the-art facility in Zilina, Slovakia.  

Kia’s innovative products continue to attract great acclaim, notably the EV6 battery electric vehicle becoming the first Korean car to be named European Car of the Year in 2022.  

Further information can be found here: www.press.kia.com 

About Hubject 

Hubject simplifies the charging of electric vehicles. With Plug&Charge, Hubject has created a service that allows Charging Point Operators (CPO), MobilityOperators (MO) and EV Manufacturers (OEM) to offer their clients a seamless and secure charging experience. To enable Plug&Charge services, Hubject operates their own V2G root Public Key Infrastructure, the Plug&Charge ecosystem and an open testing environment for both ISO 15118-2 and ISO 15118-20standards. For more information on Plug&Charge, please visit https://www.hubject.com/plug-charge-ecosystem and https://de.hubject.com/ecosystem-overview or contact plugandcharge@hubject.com.

Through its eRoaming platform intercharge the eMobility specialist connects ChargePoint Operators (CPOs) and eMobility Service Providers (EMPs) to provide standardised access to charging infrastructure regardless of any network. Hubject has established the world’s largest cross-provider charging network for electric vehicles by connecting CPO networks encompassing over 600,000connected charging points and more than 2000 B2B partners across 60 countries and four continents. In addition, Hubject is a trusted consulting partner in the eMobility market, advising automotive manufacturers, charging providers, and other EV-related businesses looking to launch eMobility services.

In essence, Hubject promotes eMobility and its advancement worldwide. Founded in2012, Hubject is a joint venture of the BMW Group, Bosch, EnBW, Enel X, E.ON,Mercedes-Benz, Siemens and the Volkswagen Group. Hubject’s headquarters are inBerlin, with subsidiaries in Los Angeles and Shanghai.

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