Kia has launched its CarPay in-car payment service in the EV3, allowing drivers to make payments directly through the vehicle’s navigation screen.
Partnering initially with Parkopedia, CarPay will enable drivers across Europe to locate and pay for parking seamlessly, addressing common parking challenges, especially in busy urban areas.
Millions of parking tickets are issued each year across Europe. This is especially problematic with electric vehicles, with 49% of EV drivers across France, Germany, Italy, and the UK receiving unexpected parking fines while charging.
This service eliminates the need for additional apps or parking machines, offering a convenient, secure payment method directly integrated into the vehicle.
Parkopedia’s system, embedded within Kia’s navigation, helps drivers find available parking spots, view costs, and anticipate availability, with plans to expand from outdoor and on-street parking to include indoor options like garages.
Currently, Parkopedia’s service covers over 1.7 million parking locations across 19 European countries.
CarPay will be included in future Kia models and will broaden to offer various goods and services.
“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,” said Sjoerd Knipping, vice president product and marketing at Kia Europe.
“Though almost all journeys begin and end with a parking space, parking remains very challenging in big cities, with 92% of drivers finding it difficult to locate available parking spots across France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the US.*
“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,” said Hans Puvogel, COO at Parkopedia.
“Not only does this reduce the amount of time drivers spend searching an area to locate an available space, but it also bypasses the frustrating process of having to find an operational parking machine or downloading various phone apps to try to activate and pay for parking sessions.”