Kia EV6 will be the company’s first car to receive Tesla’s NACS connector. The transition to the new charging standard will open the door to more than 12,000 Tesla Superchargers in North America and make the vehicle a more attractive option for consumers.
Access to charging stations is one of the most pressing issues for those considering purchasing or already owning an electric vehicle. Unfortunately, no manufacturer or charging provider has been able to provide a wide charging network except Tesla. The Texas company has been actively building charging infrastructure for a decade and recently began opening access to it for all EVs. This has prompted North American EV manufacturers to join an alliance that brings together all EV manufacturers that have adopted the North American Charging Standard (NACS) developed by Tesla. Companies in the alliance will gain access to Tesla’s extensive Supercharger network and begin producing its electric vehicles with NACS plugs.
Last week, Hyundai Motor North America announced it would switch to NACS ports for its electric vehicles, which include Kia, in North America. In the US, the corporation’s new or updated electric vehicles will be available exclusively with the NACS port starting in the fourth quarter of 2024. In Canada, this will happen in the first half of 2025. Hyundai EVs with NACS ports will have access to more than 12,000 Tesla Superchargers across North America, including the US, Canada, and Mexico.
Now the company has revealed new details. At the first Kia EV Day event in Seoul this week, it was announced that the EV6 will be the company’s first car to receive NACS plugs. The announcement was made by Min Woo Park, Kia’s head of global product planning, according to InsideEVs. The plugin will then be extended to other Kia vehicles. All of the company’s other electric vehicles will use special adapters to charge at Tesla Superchargers.
“Opening our Supercharging network to additional electric vehicles directly supports our mission to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy,” said Rebecca Tinucci, senior director of Charging at Tesla. “We’re proud to welcome Hyundai as the latest adopter of the North American Charging Standard.”
