#Kia bets on bribing you with free stuff to secure its piece of the EV market pie
“#Kia bets on bribing you with free stuff to secure its piece of the EV market pie”
As CNET reports, the company announced on Thursday that the first 1,500 people to preorder a First Edition EV6 models will get an extra bonus: a free Apple Watch.
According to Kia, the Apple Watch isn’t a random choice. It will allow customers to use the Kia Connect suite of services that come as part of the car.
And if you happen to already have an Apple Watch, Kia has other gifts for you. You could get a home charger or credit for charging your EV6 at a national charging network.
Apart from the gifts, the limited-edition EV6 will come with some more extras including an augmented reality head-up display and the remote Smart Park function. Prospective byers can also choose between three exclusive colors: Urban Yellow, Glacier White, and Steel Gray Matte.
So, smartwatches, free charging, exclusive extras, all sound great, but why is Kia using such incentives?
As it happens, there seems to be a larger trend – automakers selling EVs are all looking to claim the biggest share of an emerging and competitive market. Think, for instance, about Tesla’s free Supercharging miles or IONIQ 5’s two years of free charging for its American owners. Automakers are doing more and more to woo potential buyers.
Credit for a national charging network or a free home charger on the other hand are immensely useful, especially for first time EV owners. Kia is yet to say how much credit it will give away, though, but hopefully it’s enough to rival the IONIQ 5’s two year’s worth of free juice.
Personally, I don’t think a free smartwatch would get me to buy a car. The purchase is just too big a decision anyway, and when the car costs approximately $45,000, a few hundred dollars on a free smartwatch doesn’t make much of a difference. But hey, if that’s your thing then go ahead. At least you’ll be able to get the most out of your EV6.
Do EVs excite your electrons? Do ebikes get your wheels spinning? Do self-driving cars get you all charged up?
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