Kia Motors have taken to Jeju Island, Korea in their efforts to beat out the competition and lure in more electric vehicle buyers.
All of the major global automakers showed up on the island to reveal the EV’s that they have created.
The reason the location is so important is because the South Korean government is offering major tax breaks for those that buy and EV in the first part of the year.
The long-term goal is to have all vehicles on the island be electric.
The subsidies being offered include giving 200 buyers a 23 million won ($21,000) write off when they purchase, with initial applications being placed during the exhibition.
2015 Soul EV, A top Choice Among Koreans Living On Jeju Island
The government of Jeju revealed that 36% (589 residents) selected the Kia Soul EV as the vehicle that they wanted to buy, with the Renault Samsung SM3 ZE (31%), and the BMW i3 EV (15.1%) rounding out the top 3.
The Kia Ray (9.7%) and the Nissan Leaf (5.9%) came in fourth and fifth, respectively, while the Chevrolet Spark (2.3%) sat at the bottom of the pile.
Each of the EV’s being made to the island natives have a price somewhere in the 35 million won to 55 million won range, before subsidies.
The Kia Soul EV is priced at 42 million won, but has the best mileage and a killer warranty to match.
Electric Cars Are Perfect For Jeju Island! Here’s Why…
There are roughly 180 kilometers of coastal road on Jeju.
A fully charged EV has a range of about 100-200 kilometers, making that type of vehicle a perfect match for island residents.
At this time, there are about 300,000 vehicles on Jeju, of which only 360 are battery powered.
The government want to see 30% of all vehicles be battery powered by 2020, with the island hopefully carbon free by the time 2030 arrives.
Related News On Kia Soul EV
1. One of the best video reviews of the new Soul electric vehicle has been published online by the automaker recently.
Watch the video (click here) to fully understand the benefits of electric cars and Kia’s in-house developed electric vehicle powertrain technology.
2. Kia has released full details and specs about the 2015 Soul EV. Find more details here.
3. We have made a quick visual comparison of the Soul EV and gas-powered Soul. Check the pictures here.
