Kia Motors ink Pod Point home charger partnership

Kia Motors UK has this week inked a two year partnership with charge point specialist Pod Point, making it the latest auto giant to offer home charger installation sevices to its customers.

Fresh from securing the coveted Car of the Year title from What Car? magazine for its Kia e-Niro, the company announced Pod Point has become the official home charge provider for Kia Motors UK.

Under the arrangement, Pod Point will install smart charging units for the car maker's customers throughout the UK.

The move came as Kia officially launched the 64kWh Kia e-Niro for sale in the UK. The zero emission vehicle boasts a real-world range of 282 miles from a starting price of £32,995, after the government's £3,500 Plug-in car grant).

The car joins the company's expanding range of plug-in models, including the Niro Plug-in Hybrid, Optima Sportswagon Plug-in Hybrid and Soul EV.

"As a brand we want to ensure that our plug-in hybrid and electric vehicle customers have access to the best home-charging solution to maximise the enjoyment of their car," said Helen Mutter, general manager planning and programmes of Kia Motors. "Pod Point impressed us with the quality of smart homechargers and the team's commitment to excellent customer service. We're looking forward to working with them as we roll out one of the most ambitious electrification strategies in the industry."

The partnership was also welcomed by Pod Point CEO and Founder Erik Fairbairn. "Kia Motors have announced some of the most exciting mass market EVs that we're due to see launched in 2019 and we're delighted to be providing homecharge solutions for their customers," he said.

The deal is the latest in a string of partnerships between auto companies, energy suppliers, and chargepoint specialists, as the three sectors seek to develop a more streamlined service for the growing numbers of EV drivers.

For example, this week ScottishPower became the latest energy supplier to announce a dedicated tariff for EV owners, including the offer of a Smart EV Charger, powered by Wallbox.