MILAN (ITALPRESS) – Kia has unveiled CarPay, the brand’s in-car payment service that allows customers to pay for services and more while remaining in the comfort of the car, available primarily on the all-new EV3. The first feature offered will be Parkopedia, a service in Europe that helps drivers locate the closest parking space to their destination and pay for it directly from the navigation screen. “The introduction of an in-car payment service is a significant step forward for the benefit of user convenience, with software and connectivity enabling a continuous expansion of vehicle functionality,” said Sjoerd Knipping, Vice President Product & Marketing Kia Europe. In big cities, parking has become very difficult such that 92 percent of drivers have serious difficulties finding parking areas in countries such as France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States. Any mistakes can be very costly considering the millions of fines fined each year in Europe for unpermitted parking. There is also no shortage of difficulties for EVs with 49 percent of EV drivers surprisingly fined while charging in France, Germany, Italy, and the U.K. “Kia CarPay introduces a truly practical feature and, right out of the box, helps alleviate one of the main concerns of drivers by simplifying the process of finding and paying for parking,” said Hans Puvogel, COO of Parkopedia. “Not only does it reduce the time drivers have to spend searching for a parking spot, it also eliminates the often frustrating search for a working parking meter or the need to have to download different apps to activate and be able to pay for parking sessions.” Parkopedia services are integrated into vehicle navigation systems for seamless operation and help drivers find the closest parking space to their destination, highlighting costs and anticipating the likely number of available spaces. Kia CarPay allows customers to pay for parking with a secure transaction using a registered and securely stored credit card, without the need for additional apps. The service provided by Parkopedia primarily covers outdoor and roadside parking areas, but plans have been announced to expand the range of information to include covered parking lots, such as multi-story buildings, in the future. It currently provides access to more than 1.7 million enabled parking spaces located in 19 European countries. EV3 and all future models of the brand will offer Kia CarPay. This integrated system represents a significant step toward expanding the range of in-car payments, additional features, in-vehicle apps, and EV-specific modes of use. The convenience of CarPay is part of Kia’s commitment to improve the driving experience and customer satisfaction in every defining aspect of the journey. “Introducing a simple and immediate payment method that can be activated directly from the car is a real breakthrough,” said Olivier Pascal, General Manager and Head of Connectivity, Kia Connect. “This is just the beginning, CarPay is set to expand to include payments for a wide range of goods and services in the future to provide maximum convenience for drivers and passengers.”
photo: press office Kia Italy
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