Kia has announced that its electric vehicles will finally gain access to Tesla's Supercharger network in March, following a brief delay from the initial January rollout. The company confirmed that its EV6 and EV9 models will be compatible with Tesla's charging stations, using NACS to CCS1 adapters.

The news comes after Kia's sister company, Hyundai, began shipping its 2025 model year Ioniq 5 EVs with native NACS ports that match those found on Teslas. Hyundai's models with older CCS1 ports can already plug into Supercharger stations using an adapter. Kia, on the other hand, will provide NACS adapters to its EV6 and EV9 owners who purchased their vehicles on or after September 4th, 2024, free of charge. Owners can also purchase the adapter from dealerships.

However, some owners have expressed concerns about the adapters provided by Kia, which are rated for 1000 volts but only 350 amps. This is lower than adapters used by other manufacturers, which are typically rated for 500 amps. While Kia assures that the adapters are "engineered to meet Tesla's charging specifications and have been developed and tested for use with Kia EV vehicles," some owners have reported successful Supercharging using third-party NACS adapters by tricking the Tesla app into thinking they are charging a Hyundai.

It's worth noting that Tesla may have since closed this loophole, and Kia warns that using other adapters may result in repairs that are not covered by the company's warranty. Despite this, the news is a significant development for Kia EV owners, who will soon have access to Tesla's vast Supercharger network.

The expansion of Tesla's Supercharger network to include Kia EVs is a significant step towards increasing the adoption of electric vehicles. As the EV market continues to grow, collaborations like this will be crucial in providing owners with the necessary infrastructure to support their vehicles. With Kia's EV6 and EV9 models set to benefit from Tesla's Supercharger network, the company is poised to gain a competitive edge in the EV market.

As the electric vehicle landscape continues to evolve, it will be interesting to see how other manufacturers respond to this development. Will we see more collaborations between EV manufacturers and charging networks? Only time will tell, but for now, Kia EV owners can look forward to the convenience and flexibility that Tesla's Supercharger network provides.