Kia’s next-generation charging transformation with Road

Kia's ambitious journey

As a leading car manufacturer, Kia is at the forefront of the transition to e-mobility. To accelerate its ambitious electric driving goals, Kia in the Netherlands sought a partnership with Road to unlock new opportunities in its home charging solutions.

Kia's succes at a glance

Kia has taken a bold step in redefining its role in the e-mobility landscape. By partnering with Road, Kia transformed its charging infrastructure from a secondary service into a fully-fledged, business unit. This strategic collaboration enabled Kia to offer a branded, scalable, and future-ready charging solution, positioning the company as a true leader in sustainable mobility and bi-directional charging innovation.

Why Kia needed a change

Before partnering with Road, Kia partnered with a Charge Point Operator that relied on a third-party software solution. This set-up limited Kia to integrate with their internal systems and restricted Kia’s ability to shape the customer journey and deliver a consistent brand experience.

The power of Road's solution

After a thorough evaluation, Kia selected Road for its unique ability to deliver a complete, white-label charging platform tailored to Kia’s needs.

Why Road?

• White-label flexibility: Kia could fully brand the platform while Road handled operations and customer support.

• Future-ready technology: Road’s platform supported smart and bi-directional charging, aligning with Kia’s innovation roadmap.

• User-centric design: unlike more technical competitors, Road offered a consumer-friendly interface.

• Scalable and modular: Kia could start small and scale up as needed, minimizing upfront investment.

Implementation & Integration

Road’s solution was implemented very efficiently and smoothly, even within the complex structure of a major OEM. Key elements included:

• A scalable white-label platform.
• 24/7 customer support for charging points.
• Seamless integration with Kia’s internal systems.
• Streamlined collaboration between dealers, installers, and Road’s registration system.

This setup empowered Kia to fully customize the customer journey and improve service quality across the board.

Kia achieves significant scale and profitability

The collaboration between Kia and Road has yielded impressive, measurable successes, both in tangible figures and overall quality.

Key achievements include:

• Achieved significant scale & profitability: Kia’s charging network expanded rapidly, transforming from a support service into a profitable business unit. 434 total accounts and 442 activated charge points were registered by Q4 2024.

• Rapid growth surpassing expectations: The company's charging point sales dramatically outpaced initial estimates of 50-70 per month. After installing 80 charge points in 2023, Kia is on an ambitious trajectory targeting 600 in 2025. Supporting Kia's goal of becoming a substantial charge point operator in the Netherlands.

• Service excellence maintained: Even with a surge of 443% in customer call volume in Q4 2024, Road upheld an outstanding service level of 94%, demonstrating operational resilience.

These strong results have also led to significant qualitative benefits:

• Enhanced customer trust: Improved service quality led to higher satisfaction and loyalty.

• Empowered dealers: With reliable support, dealers became more engaged and confident in offering charging solutions.

• Stronger market position: Kia is now recognized as a leader in the energy transition, thanks to its innovative and consistent EV offering.

• Internal innovation boost: The partnership fostered a culture of innovation and deepened Kia’s expertise in e-mobility.

Kia tracks these successes using key metrics like sales numbers, high customer satisfaction (backed by the excellent service levels), impressive charge point uptime, and fewer issues during customer onboarding, all contributing to stronger overall business performance.

Kia's vision, powered by partnership

The partnership between Kia and Road is not just about solving today’s challenges, it’s about shaping the future of e-mobility. Together, they are pursuing a shared vision built on three strategic pillars:

1. Scaling proven solutions

Building on the success of their home charging offering, Kia and Road are expanding their solution to serve a broader customer base. This includes enhancing accessibility, improving user experience, and increasing availability across the market.

2. Driving platform innovation

A core focus of the partnership is the continued development of Road’s platform. This includes the integration of advanced technologies such as bi-directional charging and smart energy management. The goal: to be the first to offer a fully integrated, intelligent charging point that not only powers vehicles but also interacts with the energy grid.

3. Entering the business market

Leveraging Road’s modular and scalable platform, Kia is preparing to enter the business segment with tailored charging solutions for workplaces, fleets, and on-the- go charging. This expansion will allow Kia to serve both private and professional customers with the same level of quality and innovation.

Bi-Directional charging: a strategic differentiator

Kia sees bi-directional charging as a transformative technology—one that will redefine the role of electric vehicles in the energy ecosystem. By enabling vehicles to return energy to the grid or power homes and businesses, Kia aims to offer customers more than just mobility: a fully integrated energy solution.

This innovation is already attracting attention from media and customers alike, reinforcing Kia’s position as a forward-thinking leader in the energy transition.

Looking ahead

Kia considers Road a key partner in its long-term e-mobility strategy. With a shared commitment to innovation, scalability, and customer-centric design, the two companies are set to continue expanding their collaboration in the years ahead.

Ready to transform your EV charging strategy?

Kia’s success story shows what’s possible when vision meets the right technology partner. If you’re looking to overcome challenges and unlock new opportunities in e-mobility, Road’s innovative platform and expert support can help you get there.

Contact us today for a personalized consultation and discover how we can power your next step in the energy transition.