Kia Aims To Sell 5,000 Units Of The Soul EV In 2014

Posted on March 12, 2014 by himi

After putting the Soul EV on display in Chicago, USA and Geneva, Europe, Kia has now introduced the all-electric Soul model to the Korean consumers.

During the official launching event yesterday, the automaker announced plans to strat a serial mass production of the zero-emission Soul in April, while domestic sales are scheduled to commence shortly after.

Within a few months, Kia will also begin shipping the model to Europe and USA with the official on-sale date for the US being set for the third quarter of 2014.

As we already reported here at the Kia blog, the 2015 Soul EV will first go on sale in California, Oregon, New York, New Jersey and Maryland. Those are the regions with the largest EV markets and infrastructure, according to Kia.

Additionally, Kia has also revealed the model’s sales target for 2014.

The carmaker has set an ambitious plan of selling around 5,000 units of the Soul EV globally, this year.

The Korean-market Kia Soul EV price has been set at 42 million won, but the government subsidies can lower that to 21 million won, which is approximately $19,700.

Here are some details on the new Kia Soul EV:

– 109 horsepower
– 210 Pound-feet of torque
– 27 kWh lithium polymer battery pack
– Driving range of 80 to 100 miles
– 0 to 62 MPH in less than 12 seconds
– Top speed of 90 MPH
– Recharge in under 5 hours on 240 volt (via 6.6 kW on-board charger) or 80% in 33 minutes via 50 kW CHAdeMO quick charge
– Segment-leading battery cell energy density of 200 Wh/kg ensures driving range of up to 200km
– Innovative application of Nickel-rich high capacity cathode material

Hyundai Plans To Launch An All-Electric Vehicle In 2016

Hyundai will also add a car to the all-electric club before the end of 2016, the first such venture for the company.

They have been pretty much focused on fuel-cell technology to this point, while sister company Kia has been pursuing electric, as witnessed by the new Kia Soul EV.

Hyundai Senior VP Lee Ki-sang views that as a dividing of roles, which is why the attentions are now also being turned to electric despite a small market for EV cars in Korea.

The Senior VP went on to say that it isn’t clear at this point which direction will be the more successful, which is why a joint division focusing on zero emission cars is the smart way to go.

By 2016 Hyundai will gave their first battery powered EV, but don’t expect it to look anything like the rather oddly styled i10 BlueOn that was launched in Korea last year.

In similar fashion, Kia is expected to soon have a fuel cell car of their own.

Kia Soul EV To Cost $39,400 In South Korea

Posted on March 11, 2014 by himi

The Soul EV promises to deliver a driving experience that is on a par with its gas-powered counterpart, not to mention an impressive driving range.

We now know that the cost of the new Soul electric vehicle will come in at around 42 million won (US$39,400).

It would be easy to look at the price and think that it is on a paper with larger luxury models, but that is not seeing the whole picture.

Thanks to subsidies deliver by the South Korean Ministry of Environment, the actual Soul EV cost to the consumer will be about 20 million won.

Anyone in Korea who purchases an eco-friendly vehicle this year will get around 15 million won in subsidies from the ministry.

A further maximum of 9 million won will be given by local government to those that purchase one of the currently available elecric vehicles. There are other tax benefits that will help further reduce the cost.

Related Soul EV news: Insurance cost on 2016 Soul EV

Korean-Specs Kia Soul EV

The Soul EV made its debut at the Chicago Auto Show un February, with the major claim being that it can run 148 km on a full charge.

The car has a pair of charging ports located behind a stylish grille, with charging time taking about 24-33 minutes in DC mode. Using the slower AC adapter means that charging will take roughly 4-5 hours.

27 Kilowatt Hour High-Density Lithium-Ion Polymer Battery

Powering the EV is an 81.4 kilowatt electric motor mated to a 27 kilowatt hour high-density lithium-ion polymer battery.

That allows an acceleration o o-100 km/h in 11.2 seconds. The system has been rated at 111 horsepower with 29 kilogram-meter (kg-m) of torque.

These numbers are a little different from what you would expect to find on the 2014 Soul with the 1.6-liter naturally aspirated gas engine. Those clock in at 132 horsepower and 16.4 kg-m of torque.

Kia Soul EV 10 Year Warranty

The Soul EV comes with another great Kia Warranty, which is 10 years and 160,000 kilometers on all critical parts.

Innovative HVAC System, Infotainment Features

There are a lot of great parts to like on the EV, including state of the art pump systems that are used to deliver heat in the cabin in a way that is energy efficient.

The heating and AC systems save power, as does the regenerative braking system that creates power every time the driver takes his foot off the accelerator.

Another plus is that very little cabin space as reduced to make way for the battery pack, which has been placed in the floor. This is different from other EV’s, many of which have been deemed impractical due to the limited cabin space.

The navigation system has been given a great little upgrade in that it helps drivers find the nearest recharging stations.

It also delivers relevant information and power usage and charge levels.

Furthermore, the UVO eServices system allows drivers to pre-set the recharge time and a host of other things via a smartphone app.

2015 Soul EV Sales

The first ever International Electric Vehicle Expo will be held on Jeju Island this coming weekend, which is where the first Korean-specs Soul EV will be delivered.

Sales in global markets, including the USA and Europe will commence later in the year.

Electric Kia Soul Model Confirmed For 2014 Launch

Posted on October 6, 2012 by himi

Kia confirms electric Soul & plans to launch it in 2015!

During the most-recent Paris Auto Show, which hosted official public premieres of the all-new Kia Carens MPV and pro_cee’d hatchback, Kia confirmed it aims to launch a Soul electric vehicle.

Scheduled to hit the European market in 2014, the all-new Soul EV will be the very-first mass-exported electric Kia vehicle.

Though the all electric Soul would be the first Kia EV in Europe (and in the U.S. market), it wouldn’t be the carmaker’s first crack at an EV.

Late last year, Kia Motors put on sale the Korean market-exclusive Ray electric vehicle, powered by a 50-kw electric motor and a range of 86 miles on a single charge. The boxy Kia Ray EV was also displayed at this year’s Paris Auto Show.

No other details about the forth-coming electric Soul have been released so far, however, sources close to Kia suggested that a conventionally-powered Kia Soul could debut at the 2013 Chicago Auto Show, which starts in February next year.

Several heavily-disguised prototypes of a fully-revamped Soul crossover have been spotted on European and U.S. roads, recently.

And this confirms that the next-gen Kia Soul EV is entering the final phase of development, before it finally goes on sale next year.

Tag Archives: Soul EV