CHARGING YOUR KIA HYBRID OR ELECTRIC VEHICLE

Hybrid and electric cars are most commonly charged at home, but can be charged at work, or at thousands of public chargers at supermarkets or service stations. You can find out a bit more about how each works below:

CHARGING YOUR CAR AT HOME

In the UK, around 80% of all electric vehicle charging is carried out at home. It's the most convenient and cost-effective way to charge as you can easily fully-charge overnight and wake up every day with a ‘full tank’.

The best way to do this is to get a home wallbox installed and there is an OLEV government grant available to help you with the cost. A dedicated wallbox will charge your car much faster than using a normal three-pin plug – and it’s safer too. Most chargers, like those from Kia's partner Pod Point, are smart and Wi-Fi enabled. This means you can keep track of how much you’ve spent on charging and it can even help you save money by charging at those times of day when electricity is cheapest.

For our fully electric cars, charging from zero to 100% takes 9.5 hours at home, although it’s very rare you will be charging the battery from empty as the UK daily average mileage is 20 miles while the Soul EV and e-Niro offer 280 miles of range respectively. Our plug-in hybrid models also only take 2 hours 15 minutes to fully charge.

USING PUBLIC CHARGERS

Did you know that there are actually more charging locations than petrol stations across the UK. Many are conveniently placed in town centres, at supermarkets or motorway services with apps available to show you where to find the nearest one and even give you information on their speed, price and availability.

A 50kW DC public charger will take a Kia e-Niro or Soul EV from 0-80% in just 1.25 hours, while a 100kW DC charger will do it in just 54 minutes. That’s a decent amount of time to stop for a break and grab a bite to eat after 280 miles of driving.

Paying for public charging is becoming simpler too – new chargers accept simple contactless card or Apple Pay payments whilst some will offer a subscription service via an app or fob. These can offer you different ways to pay or even offer free charging. Prices for public charging vary, but it’s usually significantly cheaper than re-fueling with petrol or diesel.

CHARGING AT WORK


Businesses can apply for up to £350 towards the cost of purchasing and installing a chargepoint socket at work, thanks to the government's workplace charging scheme. And, you can now apply for grants for up to 40 sockets.

It’s ideal for keeping your car topped up during the day, and particularly useful for owners of plug-in hybrid cars – effectively meaning they can drive up to 30 miles to work, charge, then complete the 60-mile round trip on battery power alone! Charging at work may also be cheaper than using a public charger, so could reduce your running costs.

EMERGENCY CHARGING


It is extremely unlikely that your electric car will ever run out of charge as your Kia will warn you and guide you to your nearest chargepoint if you are running low – much like your traditional petrol or diesel car.

Your hybrid or electric Kia can also plan charging stops into longer journeys where appropriate. However, if you do need assistance the RAC has special patrol vehicles that can give your car enough power to get to the nearest chargepoint. Alternatively, you can also be towed home or to the nearest rapid charger.