I'm on the fence about this and am wondering what my fellow EV9 owners are doing. I got my EV9 long before the September 4th eligibility date so I will have to purchase an adapter if I want to use NACS chargers.
The OEM Kia adapter is appealing to me because of the warranty implications. Back at the end of the summer, I received a survey from Kia on charging adapters. It asked the usual stuff like if I was planning on buying/using an adapter and my opinion on pricing. It also had a statement concerning warranty coverage. It basically said that if I used a non-Kia adapter and that adapter caused any damage to the charging system or HV battery, the damage would not be covered by the vehicle's manufacturer warranty. This also implies that if I experienced damage while using the Kia OEM adapter, I would be covered under the manufacturer's warranty. I'm in the U.S. and we have the Magnuson Moss Warranty Act which does not let a manufacturer deny warranty coverage just because we use aftermarket parts or make modifications, but will allow the manufacturer to deny warranty coverage if those parts or modifications are contributing factors to the damage. So, there is a legitimate concern that Kia could argue that an aftermarket adapter could have been the cause of some damage. They would have to prove it, but it would be a hell of a fight likely involving a lawsuit and years of my time and lots of my money to win with no certainty of a victory.
Another consideration is the cost of the adapter. I am seeing online pricing of the official Kia adapter around $225USD plus shipping. That is about $25 to $50 more than prices I am seeing for Lectron or A2Z, assuming I cannot find a promo code or coupon out there. That seems like a small additional amount to pay, and I am willing to pay more, up to a point, to have the peace of mind.
I am also aware of the State of Charge YouTube channel's complaint about the 350 amp rating of the Kia adapter vs the more common 500 amp rating of other adapters. But this complaint is solely aimed at the problems this adapter may cause non-Kia, Hyundai, Genesis owners who may buy this adapter second-hand and attempt to use it on non-Kia vehicles. This amp limit does not have any negative consequences when used on Kia vehicles. The only downside for me as a Kia EV owner would be if I bought a non-Kia EV in the future as either a second vehicle or as a replacement and wanted to use the adapter for that vehicle.
So who else with an EV9 (or other Kia/Hyundai/Genesis) is planning on the OEM adapter versus a reputable aftermarket one like A2Z or Lectron, and why? Please let me know your thoughts and what you plan on doing. Am I missing anything?
