Kia America says it will soon offer North American Charging Standard (NACS) adapters for its EV6 and EV9 electric vehicles.
The move indicates that from January 15, 2025 the Kia EVs will have access to the Tesla Supercharger network that uses the NACS standard developed by Tesla, although Tesla was not specifically mentioned in the Kia press release.
Access to the more than 16,500 NACS DC fast chargers in the US is planned for January 15, 2025.
Kia says that customers who take delivery of a new 2024 or 2025 Kia EV9 or 2024 Kia EV6 from September 4, 2024, and later, will receive an adapter free of charge. Customer delivery of the free adapters is anticipated to take place in early 2025. Kia EV6, EV9 and Niro EV customers who took delivery prior to September 4, 2024, will have the opportunity to purchase an adapter from an authorized Kia dealer at a later date.
“As a leader in electrified mobility, it’s important Kia provide our EV customers the best ownership experience possible, and offering NACS adapters is a great way to open up a vast number of charge points across North America, expanding Kia-accessible DC charge points by more than 83 percent,” said Eric Watson, VP, sales operations at Kia America. “Kia EVs are known for their range, with the EV6 RWD Light Long Range traveling an EPA-estimated 310 miles3 on a full charge. Now, with access to this sprawling network of DC fast chargers, our EV owners can feel even more confident in their ability to reach far-flung destinations on electricity.”
Three types of NACS adapters will be available: NACS to CCS1, CCS1 to NACS and J1772 to NACS. NACS to CCS1 allows existing Kia EVs to DC fast charge. The CCS1 coupler to NACS port enables NACS-equipped Kia EVs to charge on existing CCS DC chargers, while the J1772 to NACS adapter allows NACS-equipped Kia EVs to AC-charge on existing Level 2 chargers.
To maximize convenience, in early 2025 Kia EV owners will have access and the ability to pay for charging via the Kia Access4 app once a vehicle software upgrade5 is completed. Kia EV owners will be able to search, locate and navigate to available charge points through their EV infotainment screen and on their compatible smart phone devices, including charger availability, status and pricing.
