Kia drivers that own electric vehicles 12,000 across the United States, Canada and Mexico. This is taking place, just as the company rolls out its , which we dubbed ” earlier this year. This move aligns with a broader industry trend of automakers collaborating with Tesla to enhance EV charging options. We have seen competitors including , and take similar steps all within the past year.
Kia said it plans to build the NCAS port, , into all of its that go on sale in North America starting in the fourth quarter of 2024. This will ensure its EV drivers will gain access to high-speed chargers networks, like the ones being offered by Tesla. Kia also plans to offer adapters for the existing Niro EV and EV6, as well as any EV9s produced before the change, in the first quarter of 2025.
The availability of charging stations is a crucial factor in driving EV adoption. Many American and foreign carmakers have looked to Tesla’s network of as a crutch. When Tesla first started of Supercharger stations in 2012, they were solely meant for Tesla drivers. But healthy demand for charging station access has skyrocketed as have debuted in the mainstream market. The North America electric vehicle charging stations industry is projected to reach $17.6 billion by 2030, according to a by Meticulous Research.
Given the current market dynamics, it’s reasonable to expect that other automakers will also move in the same direction as Kia. But it may be too soon to tell if Tesla will continue to lead the effort in making charging stations accessible. Notably, , including Kia, are working to establish a new charging network in North America that may rival Tesla’s current web. The new joint program aims to set up around 30,000 high-powered charging points near cities and highways, all in pursuit of the same goal of speeding up the adoption of electric vehicles.
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