Both Hyundai and Kia are on an EV push at the moment, as their respective strategies for 2025 begin to come to fruition. Following the launch of the IONIQ 5 and in advance of Kia’s equivalent, both brands have launched new charging services for owners in the UK.

KiaCharge and Charge myHyundai are designed to make access and use of an extensive public charging network much simpler, bringing multiple providers under one umbrella and offering simple, flexible tariffs to boot. Like other charging schemes from brands such as Audi and Mercedes, both of the Korean manufacturers will give customers RFID cards to ensure pay-as-you-go charging is as convenient as it gets.

KiaCharge in detail

KiaCharge provides access to 13,900 public charging points across the UK as well as 178,000 in 28 other European countries. It includes most of the high-profile charging providers in the UK, such as BP Pulse, Pod Point, IONITY, Source London, Chargepoint, Char-gy, NewMotion and ESB. Other regional charging providers are also included whilst coverage will continue to grow throughout the year.

Accessing charging services is achieved through the KiaCharge smartphone app or a RFID card, which means all transactions are managed through a single source. The app provides real-time pricing, availability and technical information, also allowing users to filter nearby chargers by things like speed, connection type or access method.

Two flexible tariffs are designed to make payments both clearer and easier. The Easy tariff is suited to those who use public charging less often, and simply costs £1.99 to access the service and obtain an RFID card. There is no monthly subscription instead most charging stations will simply take a £0.49 fee when plugging in. The Plus tariff costs £2.99 per month but offers a 15 per cent discount per kWh on most networks (except BP Pulse, Pod Point and IONITY). BP can be added for £7.85 per month which buys a 40 per cent discount per kWh, whilst a bolt-on IONITY tariff will be available later in the year.

Charge myHyundai in detail

Hyundai’s service uses the same access methods as KiaCharge – that is to say smartphone app or RFID card – and applies to over 15,000 UK charge points as well as 165,000 across Europe. Charge myHyundai brings payments and invoices into a single source too, ensuring simplicity to track what owners have used and how much it cost. Similarly, live pricing and availability data of nearby chargers, along with route planning, can be accessed via the app.

A single pay-as-you-go tariff, called Flex, means there are no subscription costs, albeit some of the providers under the scheme will still offer discounted energy to those who choose to add a subscription.

Charge myHyundai integrates with the brand’s EVs through the Bluelink Connected Car services, and on the forthcoming IONIQ 5, Charge myHyundai is integrated into the infotainment system as standard.