Kia Charge – a service exclusive to Kia customers – has announced they now have 30,324 accessible EV connectors in the UK, a growth of 48 per cent in 12 months. The service now provides access to more than 3,500 DC fast chargers, including more than 900 over-100kW connectors (189 per cent growth), which reflects operators’ eagerness to facilitate longer journeys. Compared to when it was introduced in February 2021 with 13,900 connectors, the total number of UK connectors has more than doubled (up 218 per cent).
The growth in the 27 different charging networks available through Kia Charge gives Kia owners access to more DC connectors in the UK than any other brand. Furthermore, these networks are all accessible through a single Kia Charge account offering a single monthly invoice for all public charging. DC charging is crucial to allowing electric vehicle owners to recharge quickly in public while travelling to a destination.
In 2022, sales of Kia plug-in hybrid and fully electric vehicles contributed heavily to Kia’s record-breaking year in the UK, making over 20 per cent of all the brand’s sales in last year. So far in 2023, plug-in and EV sales are off to a strong start totalling more than a quarter of Kia UK’s sales year-to-date.
While Kia Charge now reaches 26,800 AC chargers (up 49 per cent), more than 10 per cent, or 3,500, are rapid DC chargers (50-350kW). Over-100kW chargers account for more than 900 of these, a number growing every month. One of the key high-power charging operators, IONITY, has increased its connector numbers to 99 (up 32 per cent) across 19 UK locations. UK locations will more than double before the end of the year, with seven more locations already under construction. Existing sites are also being upgraded to offer significantly more stations. In 2023, a monthly average of more than 5,700 charging sessions takes place via Kia Charge in the UK – a number growing every month as more Kia EV customers sign up to the service.
