Korean car brand Kia is making waves with is sustainability commitments and a new scheme launched this month will help those who use their charge network to be almost completely green.

Electric vehicles get a lot of great press for their zero emission credentials, however it worth noting that the electricity used to charge EVs will almost always come with a carbon cost to the environment.

However, those who use the ‘Kia Charge’ network can now charge their vehicle knowing that Kia will offset any emissions by ensuring all charge activity is compensated with 100 per cent renewable energy.

Kia has more than 20,500 chargers available on the Kia Charge network in the UK, and so far it has delivered 265 Mwh of charge to their customers. Kia plans to purchase the equivalent number of megawatt-hours through ‘Guarantee of Origin certificates, with renewable energy in the form of wind power.

The scheme is made possible through a partnership with Digital Charging Solutions, whose CEO Jörg Reimann said: “DCS is a key driver in the future of sustainable mobility worldwide. By working with ‘GO’ certificates, we guarantee that one hundred per cent of the energy consumed during each charging process is fed back into the power grid as electricity from European wind turbines. That makes the demand for green electricity visible on the market and helps to pave the way for a more sustainable future.”

Kia disclosed its sustainability targets under its new ‘Plan S’ strategy in 2021, a significant part of which is introducing a fully electric passenger car line-up in Europe by 2035. Kia’s first dedicated electric vehicle, the EV6, recently arrived in Europe to great acclaim and has attracted favourable comparison with many premium brands.

Speaking about the company’s latest innovation, Jason Jeong, President of Kia Europe said: “By pushing more green energy into the grid, we can increase the energy mix in favour of more sustainable sources.

“In time, we hope to be part of a wider network that can work directly with renewable energy suppliers that offer customers 100 per cent green charging facilities. However, until there is absolutely no grey energy on the grid, this latest action is a firm step in the right direction.”

Did you know that all cars bought at CarSupermarket have the option of having their carbon emissions offset?

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