Kia Soul EV Has Been A “Huge” Hit

Following closely on the heels of the new Kia Soul Trail’ster concept revealed at the Chicago auto show this week, Kia has announced that demand for the Soul EV has been quite a bit stronger than the company ever expected. As a result, the Soul EV, which is currently only available at just 17 dealerships in California, will begin selling in other states soon.

Orth Hedrick, vice president of product planning at Kia Motors America, told Autoblog. “For the next stage, we were originally planning on hitting the east coast, but we are changing that around a little bit. You’ll see more availability.” Hedrick said the change in plans came about because the Soul is attracting so many new customers.

“We went back to the factory and told them it’s doing very well and it’s now expanded beyond an EV, it’s something bigger,” he said. “It’s helping us get a dialogue with completely new, different customers that we normally wouldn’t see in a Kia store. So we would like the opportunity to take it further.” He declined to reveal what states the Kia Soul EV would be coming to next.

Hedrick admitted that the Kia Soul EV was originally seen strictly as a “compliance car” designed to meet California’s rigorous regulations regarding the number of zero emissions cars in a corporate fleet. But it has gotten to be more than that. Quite a bit more, in fact.

“When we looked at it originally, we were trying to go beyond the compliance part,” Hedrick said. “We understood, of course, that we had to do it, but we wanted to showcase something that was really strong for us, which is the Soul, and we thought it would help build out the Soul family and bring more people to see us and that’s exactly what’s happening. It was a little more than compliance but I think we were kind of shocked how well it was received. It’s been a huge hit.”

Huge is a bit of an understatement. It appears that its marketing campaign featuring cuddly cartoon hamsters has been successful beyond anyone’s wildest dreams.

The Soul is not all that much different from the Scion xB, but where the Scion is seen as a dull transportation module for people who can’t afford a real car, the Soul is viewed as a trendy, exciting vehicle for today’s clued in urban professionals. Which means Kia is faced with the delicious dilemma of figuring out how to build lots more of them.

Kia Soul e-AWD Teased Before Chicago Debut

At this year’s Chicago Auto Show, Kia will pull back the veil on an as-yet-unnamed e-AWD concept based on the Soul crossover. The press release says the concept will have an “advanced and capable” electric all-wheel drive system and that it will be a “bold off-roader” allowing for the ultimate in urban escapism.

Beyond that, all we have is a close-up of the front quarter of this Kia concept, which has some aesthetic changes like blacked-out body cladding, red-trimmed wheels, and what looks like some chunk fog lights on the front bumper. An electric version called the Soul EV just went on sale here in the states, though I have a feeling this will be an electric AWD system that supports a more conventional drivetrain.

An all-wheel drive option for the Soul would definitely boost its appeal, and depending on how the e-AWD system is setup, it could result in much better fuel economy too. While I’m of the opinion that all-wheel drive is more a crutch than a necessity in most places and situations, the fact remains that it’s a popular feature with many buyers. I know people who won’t even consider non-AWD vehicle, because they’ve become so reliant on them, and now is a great time to get on the electrification train.

Is the Kia e-AWD concept more than just a concept though? Is Kia testing the waters, or planning on actually producing this option? Those answers will have to wait for the Chicago Auto Show.

2015 Kia Soul EV Electric Car: Chicago Auto Show Live Photos

Yes, they're still selling these things with hamsters.

If you can get over the rodent-based adverts, Kia's new electric Soul, the 2015 Soul EV, is quite an interesting vehicle, and it's the first electric car sold by Kia in the U.S.

It's making its debut at the 2015 Chicago Auto Show, and gives buyers yet another body style for their electric needs, the Soul's boxy body hiding useful interior space and an upright driving position not found in many other electric vehicles.

An 81 kilowatt (109 horsepower) liquid-cooled electric motor powers the front wheels. It also develops a healthy 210 pounds-feet of torque, and the 0-60 mph acceleration benchmark is accomplished in "under 12 seconds".

Juice comes from an air-cooled 27 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack. Like most electric vehicles, it lies flat under the car's floor, leaving the passenger compartment and the trunk relatively unobstructed--legroom has decreased a little next to other Souls.

Charging is handled by both a Level 2 J-1772 standard charging port and a CHAdeMO quick-charging port, each hiding behind a sliding door in the car’s stubby nose. Charging from empty takes around five hours using Level 2 charging and up to 24 hours from a 120-Volt household outlet.

Quick charging, like many EVs of its type, gives you an 80 percent charge in around half an hour. Also in common with its peers, range is said to be 80-100 miles--though we'll have to wait for EPA ratings to emerge to get a handle on its true capabilities.

As you can see in our live photos from the Chicago show floor, the Soul EV's exterior is largely similar to that of regular gasoline Souls.

There's a new color scheme of course, a blanked-off front grille panel (behind which you'll find the charging ports) and a unique aerodynamic wheel design.

Click through the gallery for more photos of the Soul EV, or head to our Chicago Auto Show page for more news and images from the show.

Source: Green Car Reports