KIA's electric vehicles can now access the Supercharger network in the United States Tesla

Owners in the United States of the EV6, EV9 and Niro models from South Korean manufacturer Kia can now charge their vehicles at more than 21,500 fast-charging stations across the Tesla Supercharger network spread throughout the country, using the Kia Access app.

The South Korean manufacturer thereby expands the network of DC fast chargers available to electric vehicle owners of the brand to around 40,000 nationwide. This represents an increase of more than 50 percent.

As other manufacturers have done, Kia has also made NACS adapters available to its customers at its dealerships, allowing all of its vehicles that come standard with a CCS1 charging port to charge at Tesla Superchargers. Buyers of an EV6 or EV9 purchased after September 4, 2024 will receive a free adapter, while other drivers will have to purchase one. Looking ahead, Kia has already announced that its electric models will be sold in the North American market with a standard NACS port, starting with the refreshed EV6 this year and the EV9 in 2026.

The Kia Access app allows users to locate charging stations in the United States, check their availability, status and cost, as well as navigate to them, now including Tesla Superchargers. To take advantage of these features, drivers must enroll in the KIA Charge Pass program through the app. It is also important to note that, according to the manufacturer, some vehicles may need a software update to be compatible, and Kia has indicated that certain updates or remote features may involve additional costs, depending on the model, year and equipment level.

Good things are worth waiting for

Originally, Kia planned to enable access to the Tesla Supercharger network on January 15, 2025, but this launch was postponed to the first quarter of 2025, without the reasons for the delay being specified.

“Expanding the fast-charging network for our electric vehicle customers is key to consolidating Kia’s leadership in electric mobility. With access to Tesla Superchargers, our owners can feel even more confident when choosing a Kia electric vehicle.”

Kia thus joins other brands such as Ford, Volvo, GM, Honda and Polestar, which have also adopted NACS technology following the decision by Tesla to publicly license this standard in North America. All of these brands offer adapters for their older models and plan to soon include NACS charging ports as standard on their new models, in order to achieve greater interoperability across North America’s electric charging infrastructure.