Kia is launching a pilot program for its EV owners in select Californian cities that will offer mobile charging. It’s just the latest move that the Korean company has made to make electric vehicle ownership easier while also reducing the potential for range anxiety. Depending on the reception, Kia could expand the program to more cities across the nation.
Currently mobile charging service is the company that Kia has picked to partner with in this innovative venture. From now until April 30, Kia EV owners in San Jose, San Francisco, or Los Angeles can call on Currently to charge their vehicle wherever they might be within the city. Some limits do apply.
For instance, each EV owner can call a maximum of three times per week. Users will also have to call the service through the Currently application after creating an account. Each visit will be entirely complementary and owners can specify the time and location for each top up.
Read Also: Kia Offers EV6 Buyers Up To Around 4,000 Miles Of Free Charging On Electrify America Network
“The relationship with our customers does not end after delivery. In fact, that is just the beginning,” said Greg Silvestri, Kia’s Vice President of Service Operations. “Partnering with Currently to offer complimentary charging connects perfectly to our larger ‘Plan S’ strategy and amplifies our commitment to overall electrified vehicle adoption. We believe that making charging easy also makes ownership easy.”
Another part of Kia’s ‘Plan S’ strategy is to offer complimentary charging on the Electrify America network to the same EV customers. These two factors combined should make living with an electric vehicle in these three cities considerably easier over the next couple of months.
While the transition to electric vehicles is likely to only grow over time there are still major hurdles to overcome. For many apartment dwellers, having a personal charging station isn’t an option. The same can be said for many who rent homes or duplexes so on-demand mobile charging might ease that concern.
