Kia EV9 Charging Is Held Back By The Tesla Supercharging Network
For about a decade now, Tesla has led the automotive industry in the rollout of North American fast-charging infrastructure. While most automakers chose to rely on third-party networks like EVgo or Chargepoint for CHAdeMO and CCS infrastructure, Tesla instead chose to build out their own exclusive charging network. They did so using a custom charge protocol now known as the North American Charging Standard (NACS).
The young automaker was able to grow its network quickly and developed a reputation for reliability. Within a few years, the Supercharger network became the brand’s biggest advantage over other automakers.
The Kia EV9 can reach charge rates of over 200 kW on many Electrify America stations. However, V3 Superchargers are limited by their 400V architecture. This causes issues for EVs that rely on 800V architecture for peak charge speeds.
But these days, competing CHAdeMO and CCS networks have grown rapidly nationwide. Technological advancement has grown as well. It is not uncommon for new CCS installations to be pushing 350 kW, far surpassing the 250 kW capable V3 Superchargers.
