The EV6 Will Lead Kia's Transition to Tesla Superchargers
Tesla may sell more EVs than any other American company, but its real asset is its charging network. The automaker’s Superchargers are among the most reliable and intuitive chargers anywhere, and other companies are lining up to join the party. Kia is one major automaker signing on to Tesla’s Supercharger network, and the company recently announced that the EV6 would be the first to get the EV maker’s North American Charging Standard (NACS) plug.
A Kia official said the EV6 would begin getting the NACS plugs in late 2024 and noted that existing models would gain access in early 2025 using an adapter. Hyundai and Genesis will also join the Supercharger network around the same time. All three automakers’ electric lineups are set to expand significantly in the coming years, making this an excellent time to look at improving the ownership and charging experience.
Ford was the first automaker to jump onto the Tesla Supercharger train, and many others have signed on since. While the network alone can’t support the entire country’s EV population, opening it to several non-Tesla EV brands will make charging easier for those owners, supplementing the myriad of other charging brands and options.
It’s worth noting that some Supercharger locations are already taxed with long wait times, especially in crowded urban areas. Opening the network to outside brands could extend those waits for everyone, but the fact that so many significant automakers are willing to take that chance shows how bumpy the EV ownership experience is with our current charging situation.
[Image: Kia]
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Chris grew up in, under, and around cars, but took the long way around to becoming an automotive writer. After a career in technology consulting and a trip through business school, Chris began writing about the automotive industry as a way to reconnect with his passion and get behind the wheel of a new car every week. He focuses on taking complex industry stories and making them digestible by any reader. Just don’t expect him to stay away from high-mileage Porsches.
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Are there "plug adapters" that allow non-Tesla to plug in?
Seems a worthwhile market [probably for a Chinese manufacturer]
VHS, DVD, Thumb Drive. Tesla Super Chargers are the thumb drive of the EV world.
Typical TTAC hate for Tesla, full of lies. For anyone interested in reality:
1. Tesla's charging network is certainly an asset, but can hardly be categorised as it's real asset. Do better, Chris.
2. Opening the charging network to non-Tesla brands only funds further growth of the network, making it even more convenient. I've never waited for a charger, unlike the gas lines I've seen.
3. The article and comments reflect the lie that EV owners go to public chargers the way ICE drivers go to gas stations. Nope. We only use public chargers on trips of >300 miles - otherwise, you charge up in a few seconds at home.
Please educate yourselves, as you obviously don't listen to reason.
"Or did you just make up a fake buying criteria to mask your fear of change?" I didn't "make up" the buying criteria - Hurricane Ian did that.
The Miccosukee Service Plaza is a large fuel station with a Tesla Supercharger right next door. During the Ian evacuations many people stopped at this gas station. The lines for gasoline were long, but they moved very quickly. The lines at the Tesla Supercharger were also long - and they hardly moved at all during our stop. Our entire time there was less than 20 minutes due to the line. During that time we saw no movement at all in the supercharger line.
EV apologists always accuse others of "fearing change". I'm an IT professional - my entire career has been nothing but change. Change for the sake of change is stupid. We have cars that have essentially no limitations on range or refueling. Why would I want a car that isn't as good in that regard? New technology should be superior in every way when it attempts to replace old technology. EVs fall short in range and refueling - those are the facts of battery powered cars.