Kia has strengthened its sustainability credentials with the addition of further green energy to its European ‘Kia Charge’ electric vehicle (EV) charging network. Kia already works alongside IONITY to provide green charging solutions on UK and European motorways.
Kia’s partnership with Digital Charging Solutions (DCS), who run Kia Charge, means Kia electric car drivers can charge knowing that it will be compensated by 100 percent renewable wind energy.
Through Kia Charge, Kia will determine the amount of energy used by European customers to charge their electric vehicles. They will then purchase the equivalent number of megawatt-hours (MWhs) through ‘Guarantee of Origin’ (GO) certificates.
Jörg Reimann, Digital Charging Solutions CEO, said: “DCS is a key driver in the future of sustainable mobility worldwide. By working with ‘GO’ certificates, we guarantee that one hundred percent of the energy consumed during each charging process is fed back into the power grid as electricity from European wind turbines.
“That makes the demand for green electricity visible on the market and helps to pave the way for a more sustainable future.”
Jason Jeong, Kia Europe president, said: “By pushing more green energy into the grid, we can increase the energy mix in favour of more sustainable sources.
“In time, we hope to be part of a wider network that can work directly with renewable energy suppliers that offer customers 100 percent green charging facilities. However, until there is absolutely no grey energy on the grid, this latest action is a firm step in the right direction.”
Kia Charge is one of the fastest-growing charging networks in Europe. In partnership with DCS, Kia Charge gives drivers access to one of the world’s largest public charging networks with over 300,000 charge points across 29 European countries.
Users can access charge points from all main operators via the Kia Charge charging card or Kia Charge app. No additional contracts with other providers are necessary, as payments are made via a single monthly invoice.
Kia Charge was launched in the UK in February 2021. Since then the number of UK charging points accessible to Kia Charge customers has grown by around 44 percent to more than 20,500. This accounts for 69 percent of the UK charging network, including around 2,500 DC fast chargers.
23 UK charging networks are part of Kia Charge. Major networks available via Kia Charge include bp pulse, IONITY, Pod Point, Source London, Instavolt, Shell NewMotion, Osprey, Char.gy, and ESB.
Kia disclosed its sustainability targets under its new ‘Plan S’ strategy in 2021, a significant part of which is introducing a fully electric passenger car line-up in Europe by 2035. Kia’s recently launched its first dedicated electric vehicle, the EV6.
