Kia installing DCFC’s at dealerships, demonstrating serious EV intentions (maybe)

Later this year Kia is due to launch sales of the Kia Soul EV in California.  It’s thought production will be small at first, and with distribution only in California we might think this car is a Compliance Car – however, it’s also thought Kia will ramp up production and sales into other other regions over time.  If true that’s a sign the Soul EV is not a compliance car, and another sign would be if Kia were to build EV charging infrastructure.  One of the factoids demonstrating Nissan’s and Tesla’s seriousity for success in electric cars is that both companies are putting $$$’s into building EV charging infrastructure.  Will Kia do so as well?

Electric vehicle charging station guide

Turns out they will, according to a press release issued today by ABB.  ABB is providing Terra 53 DC Fast Chargers to Kia dealers.  The Soul EV is attractive in part because of its CHAdeMO charging port.

From the press release: “The Soul EV is a key vehicle within Kia’s ‘Clean Mobility’ program, and having access to Level 2 and DC fast chargers at our select dealerships is an additional opportunity for Kia to provide value to Soul EV owners in comfortable, premiere locations,” said Orth Hedrick, vice president of product planning at Kia Motors America. “Our customers are making a sincere effort to be eco-conscious and Kia is committed to delivering both flexible and convenient charging options to Soul EV owners.”

Hence, the infrastructure at Kia’s dealerships will include not just DCFC’s but Level 2 charging stations?
The DCFC’s will be controlled through the Greenlots SKY network, and Kia Soul EV owners will be given an RFID card.  Thus it’s possible the stations will be accessible only by Soul EV owners, rather than being made available to the general public.
Another press release from Greenlots says that Kia’s charging stations will be installed at 17 Kia dealerships.  In California.  Additionally, Soul EV owners will be able to find EZCharge locations via Kia’s UVO EVServices app or the 8-inch touch screen inside the vehicle, and pay for charging with their Kia ChargeUp card.
The Terra 53 stations are capable of dual charging protocols (both CHAdeMO and CCS) but one assumes the stations at Kia dealerships will only support CHAdeMO to match the port in the Soul EV.

About David Herron

David Herron is a writer and software engineer living in Silicon Valley. He primarily writes about electric vehicles, clean energy systems, climate change, peak oil and related issues. When not writing he indulges in software projects and is sometimes employed as a software engineer. David has written for sites like PlugInCars and TorqueNews, and worked for companies like Sun Microsystems and Yahoo.

About David Herron

David Herron is a writer and software engineer living in Silicon Valley. He primarily writes about electric vehicles, clean energy systems, climate change, peak oil and related issues. When not writing he indulges in software projects and is sometimes employed as a software engineer. David has written for sites like PlugInCars and TorqueNews, and worked for companies like Sun Microsystems and Yahoo.

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