EV CHARGING

Kia & Hyundai Will Adopt NACS EV Charging in Q4 2024

October 7, 2023

The automakers will install only NACS chargers beginning with electric vehicles produced in Q4 2024.
Existing Kia and Hyundai EV drivers will have access to charging adaptors beginning in Q1 2025.
Part of the agreement involves Tesla Superchargers being able to support the ultra-fast charging platform in Kia and Hyundai EVs.

After many non-Tesla automakers announced the future adoption of the NACS electric vehicle charging system, Kia and Hyundai joined the crowd. In 2024, electric vehicles in the Hyundai and Kia lineup will have access to the Tesla Supercharger network in the United States and Canada.

Why Kia and Hyundai Announced Simultaneously

The two brands share the E-GMP battery platform, so it’s only fitting that they made the announcement together. Starting in the fourth quarter of 2024, the South Korean automakers will include the North American Charging Standard port in the new models. By the fourth quarter of 2024, all Kia and Hyundai EVs will have only the NACS ports.

For models produced before the NACS change, Kia and Hyundai will offer a CCS1-to-NACS adaptor for most EVs in their lineups beginning in the first quarter of 2025.

No Surprise Thanks to a Tesla-Kia-Hyundai-Genesis Photoshoot

This announcement isn’t much of a surprise, as Kia and Hyundai hosted a joint photoshoot at a Tesla Supercharger station in California in the past few days. The photoshoot features the Kia EV9, the Hyundai IONIQ 5 and IONIQ 6, and the Genesis GV60 EV.

Genesis has not announced anything regarding the NACS charging ports. Since Genesis is a part of the Hyundai Motor Group, it’s safe to predict that an NACS announcement is coming.

How to Access the New Charging Stations

Kia EV owners will be able to access the Tesla Supercharger network through the Kia Connects app, once the automaker announces the upgrade to the app. The app and the Kia infotainment system will show the location, availability, status, and pricing of Tesla Superchargers.

Current EV Owners Accessing the Tesla Charging System

Current Kia Niro EV and EV6 owners and consumers who purchase the EV9 before the new ports are installed will also have access to the Tesla Supercharger network. They will need to use an NACS adaptor, then purchase a Kia Connect subscription and update the smartphone app.

Like the Kia EVs on the road before the fourth quarter of 2024, Hyundai EVs will be able to use the NACS ports beginning in the first quarter of 2025.

With an after-market CCS-to-NACS adaptor, current Kia and Hyundai EV drivers can use the Tesla Supercharging network. Unfortunately, the sprawling charging network doesn’t support the ultra-fast 800v charging architecture in the EV6, IONIQ 5, and IONIQ 6. A 350-kW CCS charging station will fill the battery faster than a Tesla Supercharger.

So, before Kia and Hyundai announced the change to the NACS system, Tesla had to commit to supporting the ultra-fast charging system in the E-GMP platform.

Rebecca Tinucci, the senior director of charging at Tesla, said, “Opening our Supercharging network to additional electric vehicles directly supports our mission to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy. We’re proud to welcome Hyundai as the latest adopter of the North American Charging Standard.”

Vehicles with NACS charging ports can use Tesla Superchargers and non-Tesla public DC fast-charging and Level 2 stations from manufacturers like Electrify America, EVgo, and Chargepoint.