Kia will let you summon an actual human to charge your EV
When your Kia electric vehicle is out of power, you can now order a technician who will arrive with a battery and charge it for you. The automaker is partnering with Currently, an on-demand mobile EV charging app, to service Kia customers in Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Jose. While there’s no shortage of public chargers in these cities (San Jose has the highest number of public chargers per capita in the country), Kia is only using these three cities as a launching pad. It plans to expand Currently service to other cities in the future.
In order to use the service, simply download the Currently app and book a time and place for the charge. A Currently technician will then arrive at your location with a portable charging system. Drivers don’t have to be present during the charging, but should make sure their charging port can be accessed by their technician.
Under the partnership, Kia EV drivers will receive two free months of service with Currently. Following the trial period, Currently subscriptions range from $25 a month (for two charge deliveries) to $80 a month (for six charge deliveries). But note that Currently will only deliver a charge that the company says is good for 50 miles, and that can vary depending on your specific vehicle.
Unfortunately, if you’re ever stranded on the highway, it’s best to call your roadside assistance service. Currently doesn’t dispatch its technicians to highways. While it’s unlikely all drivers will want mobile EV charging regularly (especially in large EV markets with plentiful public chargers), it could be convenient for those who are time-strapped or in an emergency.
All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
