Electroverse EV Charging

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My PV5 Passenger Plus is my first EV, and I'm very impressed with almost all aspects (see my other blog posts). One area that Kia haven't done well is their Kia Charge network. It's expensive and patchy. Where I live, charging points on all charging networks are bit hit and miss, so any charging subscription will force me to drive out of my way if I leave the range of my home charger (and buying a EV only really makes financial sense if you can have a home charger). The Solution So, what to do if you don't want a subscription and don't fancy the poor Kia network offering? The answer was pretty easy, Octopus Electroverse. It ticks all the boxes for me. Fantastic network coverage. No subscription or upfront costs. Exceptionally good app. Competitive pricing. Addional discount for Octopus Energy customers. Easy to get charging receipts. Easy setup. The Plunge pricing is worth mentioning. When the UK grid predicts there will be excess capacity, the Electroverse app will...
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The Not-So Good - PLEOS

Almost every aspect of my posts so far here has been positive or very positive, the PV5 is a game changer is pretty much every way.  That's not to say some areas don't feel a little rushed to market before they were ready.

The biggest and most obvious offender in this area is the PLEOS infotainment system, it's a fork of Google's Android Automotive (not to be confused with their mirroring system called Android Auto).  Hyundai Group (Hyundai, Kia, Genesis) have taken this as their new infotainment system and have thrown all sorts of ridiculous marketing hype at it.

The Marketing Hype

Here are some of the bold claims made back in 2025:

"With Pleos, we will realize cloud mobility, where all means of transportation are connected to software and are constantly evolving"

Here is more of their hype:

  • A next-gen infotainment system based on the Android Automotive OS (AAOS), with unique, customizable and user-friendly features
  • Allows for maximum openness and scalability of the Android development ecosystem
  • Enhances compatibility with mobile apps for a familiar user experience
  • Features a smartphone-like UI with split-view, multi-window functions and ‘Gleo AI’ voice recognition-based agentic AI for intelligent vehicle control
  • Provides a personalized service environment based on ‘Pleos ID’ – a single, connected user profile accessible in any Pleos Connect-based vehicle
  • Pleos Connect is scheduled to make its in-vehicle debut in Q2 2026, with expanding to more than 20 million vehicles by 2030

The End User Reality

Despite the PV5 having been on the market for over a year in some regions, here is the reality in August 2026, the same 2 apps that have always been there, nothing else.


So here we are in Q3 2026, and it's a very barren wasteland. How Kia think this is OK, that's beyond comprehension.

In addition to the empty store, you also have the absolutely horrific login experience, made worse by the system periodically logging you out, so you have to endure the log in pain again, just to see the same disappointing 2 apps.

With 20 million vehicles getting this, all new models frum Hyundai group, this is going to become a very large pain point beyond a few PV5 beta testers (which is how things feel right now)

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