Kia Launches CarPay, Its In-Car Payment Service, in Collaboration with Parkopedia
London, UK / Frankfurt, Germany – On Monday 28 October, 2024, Kia announced the launch of CarPay, its in-car payment service, in partnership with Parkopedia, the leading provider of connected car services. CarPay will be available starting with the EV3 model, and will be accessible through the Kia Connect App and the vehicle’s touchscreen.
Sjoerd Knipping, Kia Europe’s Vice President Product & Marketing, stated, “Adding an in-car payment service is a significant advancement for customer convenience as software and connectivity continue to expand the capability of a vehicle.”
With almost all journeys beginning and ending with a parking space, parking can be a challenging task in big cities. According to a 2023 Global Driver Survey conducted by Parkopedia, 92% of drivers in Europe, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK, and the US find it difficult to locate available parking spots. This is especially problematic for electric vehicle drivers, as 49% of EV drivers across Europe have received unexpected parking fines while charging.
Hans Puvogel, COO at Parkopedia, explained, “Kia CarPay adds significant convenience and, from launch, helps to alleviate one of the key pain points for drivers, simplifying the process of finding and paying for parking.”
Parkopedia’s services are seamlessly integrated into vehicle navigation systems, making it easier for drivers to find the nearest available parking spot at their destination. The service also details the costs involved and predicts the likely number of available spots. Kia CarPay enables customers to pay for parking through a secure transaction via a stored payment card, eliminating the need for additional apps.
Parkopedia currently provides access to more than 1.7 million transactable parking locations in 19 European countries. The service focuses primarily on outdoor and on-street parking, with plans to expand to indoor parking in the future.
The EV3 and all future Kia models will feature Kia CarPay, a significant step for the brand towards expanding the range of in-car payments, add-on features, in-vehicle apps, and electric vehicle-related use-cases. This convenience for drivers is part of Kia’s commitment to enhancing the driving experience and improving customer satisfaction.
Olivier Pascal, General Manager and Head of Connectivity at Kia Connect, stated, “Bringing an easy and streamlined payment method into the vehicle is a game-changer. This is just the beginning, with CarPay set to expand in the future to include payments for a wide range of goods and services, providing greater convenience for drivers and passengers.”
Kia Europe is the European sales and manufacturing division of Kia Corporation, a global mobility brand working towards creating innovative, pioneering, and leading sustainable mobility solutions. The company employs over 5,500 individuals from 40 nationalities across 39 markets in Europe and the Caucasus. It also oversees European production at its state-of-the-art facility in Zilina, Slovakia.
Kia Connect, a subsidiary of Kia Europe, delivers connected car services to Kia customers across 28 markets. These services include in-car and app-based features designed to make driving a more intuitive experience, as well as vehicle data products for use cases such as fleet management.
Parkopedia, the leading connected car service provider, is used by automakers, organizations, and millions of drivers worldwide. The company helps drivers find and pay for parking, EV charging, fuel, and tolls across 90 countries. It is also developing highly detailed indoor maps and corresponding algorithms to help drivers and self-driving vehicles navigate to available parking spaces and EV chargers.
For more information, please contact:
Adam Calland, Marketing Director, Parkopedia
T: +44(0)7838219129
E: adam.calland@parkopedia.com
Pablo González Huerta, Manager Public Relations & Communications, Kia Europe
T: +49 69 850 928 342
E: pghuerta@kia-europe.com
Derick is an experienced reporter having held multiple senior roles for large publishers across Europe. Specialist subjects include small business and financial emerging markets.