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Hyundai, Kia electric vehicles to use Tesla's NACS charging ports starting next year

Hyundai and Kia say that they're adopting North American Charging Standard ports for their electric vehicles in the U.S. and Canada, which will give the vehicles access to thousands of Tesla Superchargers across the two countries and Mexico. Tesla’s Superchargers are coveted by other automakers because Tesla has more direct current fast-charging plugs in the U.S. than any other network, and its stations are in prime locations along freeway travel corridors. Hyundai Motor North America said Thursday that new Hyundai electric vehicles in the U.S. will come with the NACS port starting in 2024's fourth quarter. It will begin in Canada in the first half of 2025. Hyundai's luxury brand, Genesis, will also start using the NACS ports. Kia said it plans to build the NACS port into new electric vehicles sold in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, also in the fourth quarter of next year. “Having this kind of sprawling access to chargers will no doubt boost customer satisfaction, elevate the EV ownership experience, and enable drivers to reach more destinations across the continent on electricity,” Seungkyu (Sean) Yoon, president & CEO, Kia North America and Kia America, said in a statement. Hyundai and Kia electric vehicles with NACS ports will be able to access more than 12,000 Tesla Superchargers throughout the U.S., Canada and Mexico. This will double the size of the DC fast charging network available to Hyundai electric vehicle customers. The Tesla network will be able to support the charging speeds on HyundaiÂ’s advanced Electric-Global Modular Platform vehicles, including IONIQ 5 and IONIQ 6 and the upcoming IONIQ 7. Tesla's electric vehicle plug has steadily moved closer to becoming the industry standard. In June SAE International, formerly the Society of Automotive Engineers, said that it would set performance standards for TeslaÂ’s electric vehicle charging cords. The move by the key U.S. automotive industry organization came just weeks after Ford, General Motors and Rivian said they would join TeslaÂ’s large Supercharger network and adopt its NACS connector in new versions of their electric vehicles. Volvo Cars has also signed a deal with Tesla to join its charging network.

Hyundai and Kia to invest in self-driving startup Aurora

Hyundai Motor Co said on Thursday it would invest in self-driving car software startup Aurora along with Kia Motors Corp to speed up development of autonomous vehicle technologies. "With the new investment, the companies have agreed to expand research to a wide range of models and to build an optimal platform for Hyundai and Kia's autonomous vehicles," Hyundai said. Aurora said in a blog post that Hyundai and Kia's investment is part of a series B financing round, which has now raised more than $600 million. Aurora, which just announced a partnership with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, competes with Alphabet's Waymo and General Motors' majority-owned Cruise, among others. (Reporting by Rama Venkat in Bengaluru; Editing by Leslie Adler)

Kia Soul EV priced at $33,700*, leases start at $249/month

Kia must have thought VW was aiming a little high when the German automaker priced its upcoming electric vehicle for the US market. Kia has just announced that the price for its new Soul EV will be $33,700 (before any tax incentives) when it comes to the US later this year. That's well above the base model Nissan Leaf, which starts at $28,980, but a few thousand dollars below the Volkswagen e-Golf, which starts at $35,445. The upper end Plus model starts at $35,700. The Soul EV will come in two trim levels, with the upper end Plus model starting at $35,700. The extra $2,000 will get you leather-trimmed heated and ventilated seats, fog lamps and power folding mirrors. As any EV driver in a cold climate will tell you, heated seats can do a lot for your body comfort when electrons count. Every Soul EV will have an onboard 6.6-kW charger, a nav system, a rear camera and Kia's UVO EV Services connection (with app) – as well as Kia's $800 destination charge. There are a few more details in the press release below. The Soul also has something that its competitors don't: an official range of 93 miles thanks to a 27-kWh lithium ion battery pack. The Leaf sits pretty at 84 miles while the e-Golf has not yet been officially rated. For those more interested in leasing than buying, the cost will be $249 per month with $1,999 down for the base model. Kia will announce more lease details closer to launch this fall. By the way, the Soul EV will be "initially available in certain California markets only with limited availability," so only some of you will have the option to get one from the start. Kia has said that the Soul EV will be available in other states –Oregon, New York, New Jersey and Maryland – as well, so expect announcements on that front at some point. 2015 KIA SOUL EV PRICING ANNOUNCED Starting MSRP of $33,700(1)(not including federal tax rebate of $7,500) with an expected introductory lease price(2) of $249 per month makes all-new Soul EV a compelling offer for eco-conscious buyers The 2015 Soul EV is Kia's first mass-market, all-electric, zero-emissions car and the centerpiece of the brand's Clean Mobility program Fully electrified variant retains Soul's funky design while delivering best-in-class(3) EPA-estimated driving range of 93 miles(4) IRVINE, Calif., September 11, 2014 – Kia Motors America (KMA) today announced pricing for the all-electric version of its hugely popular urban passenger vehicle, the Kia Soul.