Kia America has announced a new partnership with mobile charging service, Currently, to provide its drivers with on-demand EV charging when and where they please. The initial rollout of this partnership will provide Currently’s charging service to Kia owners in three major California cities to begin, before expanding to other metropolitan areas in the future.
Kia is an automotive brand under the Hyundai Group umbrella that is going all-electric, beginning with its new EV6 – the first dedicated BEV on the E-GMP platform under the Kia marque.
The new EV is currently on sale in the US, and we recently learned that Kia customers can take advantage of free charging on Electrify America’s network. With its latest announcement, Kia American looks to take charging convenience one step further for its drivers by helping bring the charger to them through Currently.
Currently is an on-demand charging service in the US that was created by SparkCharge, a mobile charging network that provides EV replenishment from its portable Roadie Charging System. This system provides DC fast charging virtually anywhere without any reliance on infrastructure.
Kia drivers get free on-demand EV charging for two months
The news of the partnership was announced by Kia America and SparkCharge in a press release, outlining how Kia drivers can now take advantage of the mobile charging service.
Beginning today, Kia EV drivers in California can take advantage of two complimentary months of on-demand charging through the Currently app. A technician will then arrive at their location and deliver a charge to their Kia EV.
After the complimentary two months, Kia owners can decide whether to continue using Currently’s on-demand charging service. Kia’s Vice President of Service Operations, Greg Silvestri, spoke to the new partnership:
The relationship with our customers does not end after delivery. In fact, that is just the beginning. Partnering with Currently to offer complimentary EV charging connects to our larger ‘Plan S’ strategy and amplifies our commitment to overall EV adoption. We believe that making charging easy also makes EV ownership easy.
Kia EV owners can download the Currently app from Apple or Google Play and create their own account to receive the free two months of service. To begin, Currently’s on-demand charging will only be available to Kia drivers in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Jose. However, if the initial program proves successful, the companies said there are plans to expand to other cities too.
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