Kia has announced that owners of the EV6, EV9, and Niro EVs have officially gained access to over 21,500 Tesla Supercharger locations in North America.
However, its announcement also contained an apology to Tesla.
First, Kia said that its three EV offerings will have access to Tesla’s expansive Supercharger Network. More than 40,000 DC fast chargers are available to Kia EV drivers, a major uptick as Tesla Supercharger access nearly doubles the number of accessible piles.
Sean Yoon, President of Kia North America and Kia America, said:
“Kia is committed to an exceptional ownership experience, and expanding the network of available DC fast chargers to our EV customers is an important component to maintaining the brand’s leadership in electrified mobility. Now, with access to the Tesla Supercharger network of DC fast chargers, our EV owners can feel even more confident in their decision to purchase or lease a fully electric Kia vehicle.”
Kia owners who have a CCS1 Charging Port will have access to an NACS adapter through dealerships. This will enable compatibility, as current inlets are not NACS, the port that Tesla utilizes.
However, Kia will eliminate the need for this adapter starting with the 2025 EV6 and 2026 EV9. These will come standard with NACS inlets.
We mentioned Kia included somewhat of an apology to Tesla, which is related to social media posts from “certain Nordic distributors,” as the company puts it:
Kia paid for a front page ad on Finland’s largest newspaper to mock Elon Musk and Tesla.
Translation: “Oh, These Days of Life. If you’re unsure about driving an american electric car, welcome to the Helsinki Exhibition Centre to admire the cars of the new age.”
It’s a play on… pic.twitter.com/XfwOJVIGll
— Nic Cruz Patane (@niccruzpatane) April 5, 2025
Kia said in its announcement:
“Kia America is aware of marketing posts by certain Nordic distributors. These initiatives were developed entirely independently by those distributors, without direction from Kia America, Kia Europe or Kia Global. We want it to be clear that these posts do not reflect the position of Kia America, and we remain committed to clear and professional communication that reflects our values.”
The company also said that it “condemns the recent attacks that disrupt the availability of convenient and affordable charging for our customers.”