Greenlots and Kia Motors America Expand Partnership to Provide EV Charging Access in Five States

SAN FRANCISCO, July 8, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Greenlots, a global provider of open standards-based technology solutions for electric vehicles (EV), announced today that is has expanded its existing partnership with Kia Motors America (KMA). Building on the companies' partnership in 2014 to provide Kia dealerships in California with SKY-enabled fast charge stations, the companies have launched a second rollout phase of DC fast-chargers (DCFCs) at select Kia dealerships in four new states, as well as in California.

Greenlots will support the build out of charging infrastructure in Kia's expanded California EV dealer body and four new markets-- Texas, Georgia, Oregon and Washington-- which is key to providing EV drivers with a seamless experience to charge and go. This second rollout brings over thirty additional DC charging stations to 21 Soul EV-certified Kia dealers. Of the Kia EV dealers in the Pacific Northwest region, 12 will be located in Washington and eight in Oregon, shaping a critical charging network and increasing DCFC availability by 40 percent in the Seattle metro area and 15 percent statewide. The Kia dealerships that will receive DC fast chargers will increase Greenlots' overall network of fast charging to close to one-third of the DCFC North American market.

"As more and more Soul EV drivers hit the road, Kia will remain committed to delivering both flexible and convenient access to public charging," said Orth Hedrick, VP of Product Planning, Kia Motors America. "This continuing partnership illustrates the growing importance of supporting electric vehicle drivers with convenient fast charging infrastructure to build range confidence."

Kia has expanded its partnership with Greenlots to continue offering flexible, on-the-go access to large networks of charging stations. Through the Greenlots partnership, Soul EV owners will be provided with a "Kia ChargeUp Card," giving them interoperable access to chargers across participating networks.

"Consumer demand for Kia's Soul EV has extended well beyond California now, so we're pleased to be moving alongside Kia into new markets and dealerships, supporting their expansion with our open standards-based network," said Brett Hauser, CEO of Greenlots. "As demand continues to grow, interoperability will be essential to scaling EV infrastructure."

The Greenlots SKY Smart Charging™ network has been designed to meet evolving needs for automakers and site hosts alike. Main features include: a variable pricing engine, a dashboard with real-time usage, tailored reports, easy payment options, and comprehensive support.

About Kia Motors America
Kia Motors America (KMA) is the marketing and distribution arm of Kia Motors Corporation based in Seoul, South Korea, and in 2014 was the #1 ranked mainstream brand according to Strategic Vision's Total Quality Index. KMA proudly serves as the "Official Automotive Partner" of the NBA and LPGA and set an all-time annual sales record in 2014, surpassing the 500,000 unit mark for the third consecutive year. KMA offers a complete line of vehicles, including the rear-drive K900ⁱ flagship sedan, Cadenza premium sedan, Sorento CUV, Soul urban passenger vehicle, Soul Electric Vehicleⁱⁱ, Sportage compact CUV, Optima midsize sedan, Optima Hybrid, the Forte compact sedan, Forte5 and Forte Koup, Rio and Rio 5-door subcompacts and the Sedona midsize multi-purpose vehicle, through a network of more than 765 dealers across the United States. Kia's U.S. manufacturing plant in West Point, Georgia, builds the Optima and Sorento and is responsible for the creation of more than 14,000 plant and supplier jobs.
Information about KMA and its full vehicle line-up is available at www.kia.com. For media information, including photography, visit www.kiamedia.com. To receive custom email notifications for press releases the moment they are published, subscribe at www.kiamedia.com/us/en/newsalert.

About Greenlots
Greenlots is a global provider of open standards-based technology solutions for electric vehicle (EV) networks and grid management. Designed to answer the needs of site hosts offering workplace and public charging applications, Greenlots' SKY Smart Charging™ platform is a robust network management solution that utilizes Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP), the largest open standard for charger-to-network communications. SKY is the only charging network to be OpenADR 2.0b certified and enables utilities and site hosts to work together on demand response programs, leveraging EVs as a grid resource and avoiding costly energy infrastructure upgrades. Greenlots is headquartered in San Francisco and has deployed solutions in 13 countries around the globe. Visit www.greenlots.com for more information or follow us on Twitter @greenlots.

Greenlots Media contact:
[email protected]

                                                     
ⁱ 2015 K900 V8 available in select trims and in select markets with limited availability.
ⁱⁱ 2015 Soul EV in select markets with limited availability.

SOURCE Greenlots

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