Kia Plug & Charge enhances EV charging experience

Kia launches Plug & Charge for 2025 EV6 and 2026 EV9, enabling seamless charging and automatic payment at compatible stations through Kia Charge Pass.

Kia is taking another step toward making electric mobility as seamless as possible in daily life. The company is introducing Plug & Charge, a technology that removes unnecessary barriers to charging: drivers simply plug in, and the car and station handle the rest.

The feature will roll out for the 2025 EV6 at the end of September and for the 2026 EV9 in the fourth quarter. To use it, drivers need an active Kia Connect subscription, enrollment in the Kia Charge Pass program, and a linked payment method. Compatibility is limited to stations that support the function, which can be checked via the Kia app.

In the United States, the system integrates with Electrify America, which by 2025 has more than 1,000 locations and around 4,800 chargers, with plans to expand to 1,800 sites by year’s end. In Europe, Kia offers the service through Kia Charge, and Plug & Charge is supported on ISO 15118-enabled stations such as IONITY and Aral pulse. IONITY has already reached 600 sites and over 3,000 high-power chargers across the continent.

The foundation of the technology is the ISO 15118 standard. It enables the exchange of digital certificates between car and charger, ensuring secure authentication and protected payments. The new ISO 15118-20 strengthens this with mandatory mutual verification and TLS 1.3 encryption, underscoring how data security is now as critical as convenience in the era of connected mobility.

Compared to competitors, Mercedes-Benz has implemented Plug & Charge via its Mercedes me Charge service, while Volkswagen and BMW also rely on ISO 15118 in partnership with networks such as IONITY and Electrify America. Tesla, meanwhile, built its Supercharger ecosystem with built-in authentication from the start. Kia’s strategy positions it within this landscape but emphasizes integration through its own digital services and collaboration with key charging providers.

This move shows that Kia is not simply producing electric vehicles but is actively shaping an ecosystem where the car becomes part of a larger digital environment. Plug & Charge is not only about convenience; it is a marker of how quickly EVs are shifting from technological novelty to a natural part of everyday life.