Kia Soul EV Now Available in Four More States

The Kia Soul EV (like the “regular” Soul) is proving to be more popular than the company ever expected when it was first introduced in California a year ago. The cute and surprisingly winter-capable front-wheel-drive Kia Soul EV, with its irresistibly sunny face, quickly expanded to Georgia, Texas, Oregon, Washington, and Hawaii earlier this year.

The Soul EV is powered by a 109-hp electric motor with 210 lb.-ft. of torque. Its liquid cooled AC synchronous permanent magnet motor uses multi-layer magnets to help improve efficiency and reduce the whine common to most electric vehicles. In an effort to maximize efficiency and range, the Soul EV uses Kia’s third-generation regenerative braking system, which captures up to 12 percent of the car’s kinetic energy and feeds back into the battery while the car is coasting or braking.

Now, Kia Motors America has announced it is expanding availability of its all-electric urban runabout into four more states — New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Maryland. Soul EV sales in the Northeast will begin in the fourth quarter. Nineteen Kia dealers will be certified to sell and service the Soul EV in these four new states — four in New York, 6 in New Jersey, 3 in Maryland and 2 in Connecticut. Each dealership will have an electric charger available for Soul EV customers.

Soul EV owners will easily be able to locate charging stations using the standard UVO EV Services telematics system. Available at no cost for the first five years of ownership, the system is powered by Verizon network. It has an integral smartphone app to provide Soul EV owners with an innovative, real-time, in-vehicle connectivity experience that includes navigation and a host of added convenience features.

The Soul EV has two charging ports — a SAE J1772 port for Level 1 and Level 2 AC, and a CHAdeMo DC fast-charging port (480v). Recharging times vary from 24 hours for a fully depleted battery using a standard 120v outlet to under five hours when plugged into a 240v outlet. An 80-percent charge can be achieved from empty in as little as 33 minutes with a 50 kW-output DC fast charger. Kia has partnered with three charger providers – Bosch, Leviton and AeroVironment – which give Soul EV buyers an opportunity to select the unit best suited to their in-home needs.

Why has the Soul EV done so well in the marketplace while other electric cars are languishing on dealers’ lots? Some blame it on Kia’s adorable hamster advertising campaign. That may have been the most effective marketing program since the hugely popular ads for the original Volkswagen Beetle more than 50 years ago.

Kia Soul Hamsters Commercial

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Photo credit: Kia Motors.

Chevy Volt Still #1 In Canada

Despite the ongoing economic troubles of Canada (and the falling gas prices), sales of the Chevrolet Volt are continuing to go strong there — based on the recently aggregated sales figures for the US’s northern neighbor during August 2015.

Altogether, there were 167 Chevy Volts sold during August 2015 in Canada — somewhat under the 186 Volts sold during August 2014, but a bit higher than the 150 Volts sold during July 2015 (sector-leading sales for the month in that market).

With the Volt’s supremacy reconfirmed for the month of August, the popular offering from Chevyhas now topped the Canadian electric vehicle (this includes plug-in hybrids/PHEVs) sales rankings for the 29th time (tentatively).

Tesla Model S sales are continuing to remain relatively steady as well — and remain as something of a competitor to the Volt up there, despite the great differences between the two models with regard to pricing and performance (and target market).

Regardless of the relatively steady/strong sales, the Canadian market still remains basically untapped — with the total share of the country’s auto market held by electric vehicles (EV) being only around half of that as in the US (0.3% as compared to 0.6%). Interestingly, though, the Tesla Model’s share of the market is comparable in the two countries — the difference in total EV share apparently lies solely with lower sales of other models.

On that note, 124 Nissan LEAFs were sold in August in Canada, BMW sold 49 EVs/PHEVs, 7 Mitsubishi i-MiEVs were sold, and 1 Cadillac ELR was sold. Sales figures for Toyota and Ford offerings are unavailable, and will remain so unless the companies change their policies.

Presumably Kia sold some Soul EVs, and Mercedes sold some of its offerings as well, as the vehicles continue to be registered. July saw 62 Souls registered, and 50 electric Mercedes.

2016 Kia Soul EV: New Less Expensive “e” Trim Level From $31,950, New Colors

Kia Introduces New Base Model Of Soul EV – But Only For California

Much like Volkswagen did this Spring with a lower priced version of the e-Golf (details), Kia has introduced a new base “e” trim level to its lineup, or Soul EV-e if you will.

2016 Soul EV Retains Standard L2/CHAdeMO Front Charge Ports

The new Soul EV-e will start at $31,950, which is $2,000 less expensive than last year’s standard “EV” model, and $4,000 less than the “EV+” (Sun & Fun Package) trim level.

The only caveat to the new lower-priced Soul EV, is that Kia has decided to make it a California-only offering.  So, while the company just announced the plug-in’s arrival in Washington and Oregon, this model won’t be made available anywhere but California.

Our friends at Kia-World.net (which is a swell place to keep up to date on everything Soul EV) also dropped us a line to let us in on some other new features for the 2016 Soul EV ahead of Kia’s official announcement:

The former base model, the Soul EV, now becomes the middle trim, and will now come with a heat pump HVAC system.  It will also feature upgraded windshield washers, side mirrors with turn signals, navigation system, rear backup camera display, UVO eServices, luggage net, cargo net, and much more.

Even more features – heated and ventilated seats, park assist system, leather seats, upgraded interior lights, etc. – are found on the 2016 Soul EV+.

There is also the option of a Sun & Fun Package ($1,100) which adds a panoramic sunroof, LED interior lighting,speaker lights, nozzle locking function for SAE J1772 port (inboard port) and illuminated AUX/USB port.

No Word On If Production Will Be Upped From The Current Monthly Run Of About ~500 Units

Kia Motors noted some new standard features and color choices for the 2016 Soul EV lineup:

Additional 2016 enhancements standard across the Soul EV lineup include a charge port nozzle lock, an illuminated Aux/USB port, and two new exterior colors:  Shadow Blackand Bright Silver.

Mechanically the Kia remains the same and continues to be rated at an EPA estimated range of 93 miles and an EPA MPGe of 92 miles highway and 120 miles city for a combined mileage of 105 miles via a 27 kWh air-cooled,  200 wh/kg battery.

The 2016 Kia Soul EV will be on sale by month’s end.

2015 Kia Soul EV Review: Delivery And Day One

On Tuesday, a fresh, bright-white 2015 Kia Soul EV was dropped off in my driveway, brought by custom flatbed from New York City to my humble abode in central Connecticut. Coated in a bright white paint but minus the conventional grille its gas-powered stablemate wears, my wife remarked how it looked like a guy in a surgical mask. Can’t say I disagree with her there.

If you’re a regular reader, you know that this is our second go-around with the Soul EV, after Chicago’s deep, deep winter meant Gas2 alum Jo Borras didn’t have much range or road to test it out on. With warmer weather and no snow to contend with, we’re hoping to give the Soul EV a fairer assessment this time around.

The Kia Soul EV boasts an official EPA rating of 93 miles per charge, more than any other BEV except the Toyota RAV4 EV and Tesla Model S. So you might imagine my surprise when the Soul EV proudly proclaimed that with a fully-charged battery, I had about 78 miles of range to play with.

Alrighty then. Since I don’t have a home charger, my only charging options are a 110-volt outlet through my kitchen window, or using the freshly-installed 240-volt chargers at the college down the street. But I’m only going to charge it when it needs it, and for my first outing to target a few minutes after the Soul EV’s arrival, the two-mile journey hardly warranted an overnight plug-in.

First impressions on the outside…eh. I like the Kia Soul, and putting the charging point where the grille should be isn’t a terrible idea. But in white…eh. It looks a lot softer than the bright yellow Kia Soul I test drove awhile back. I was hoping the blue one I see in all the promo pictures was going to show up, but all my guy friends have let me know that my sexuality is probably being questioned by those that see my driving it.

Cracks about my orientation aside, I’ve always considered interior attractiveness and quality more important than what the rest of the world has to look at, and I’m a big fan of the changes Kia made to the Soul EV. The leather seats remind me of Super Nintendo cartridges, and soft touch dash begs to be caressed. Instead of an ignition or start button, the push start system says “Power” instead, again taking me back to my days as a video game enthusiast.

Kia made great use of its UVO infotainment system in the Soul EV as well, with my wife quickly poking through all the information screens that take a lot of the anxiety out of range anxiety. The GPS system has been integrated to show just how far the battery can take you, an energy usage screen shows how many kW the motor, climate control, and other electric accessories are sucking up at any given time, and an easy-to-find screen not only shows the nearest charging station location, but even adds a little arrow to indicate exactly where it is.

First impressions…I’m feeling it, which I’d better be with a starting price of $33,700. Then I started counting buttons.

Kia has a button problem, and it really pushes my buttons. The steering-wheel alone has over a dozen different buttons, with dozens more spread out between the HVAC and infotainment system…and many of those buttons have buttons in the infotainment screens as well. Kia must have stock in some third-party button supplier, because it’s just gone button-crazy on the Soul EV...a problem I complained about in the conventional Kia Soul a year and a half ago.

Finally, after all that reading, you probably want to know how it drives, right? Well get this; as soon as I pulled out of my driveway and stepped on the gas, I chirped the tires. Instant torque baby! 0 to 30 whooshes by in confident silence, though the Soul EV runs out of steam shortly thereafter. I chriped the tires again pulling onto the main road, though I quickly figured out how to manage the 210 lb-ft of torque Kia gave me to test drive. That’s about 30% more torque than the torqueiest conventional Soul, it’s worth noting.

The regenerative braking works as-intended without encroaching too much on driving dynamics; for those wanting to eek out every extra mile of range they can, there’s the B driving mode, which ups the regenerative braking and limits power even more the the activeEco mode already does. It works great for city driving, but I haven’t gotten a chance to test it out on the highway yet.

I was considering driving it about 45 miles from my home down to Milford for a friend’s birthday party, but with the display telling me I only had 78 miles of total range, not even the normally-daring me was prepared to stretch my luck that far. So much for Zach’s argument that EVs have enough range for most drivers. Day 1 and I’m already leaning on a conventional car crutch. With no public transit options and the nearest charging station 5 miles from my final destination, there was no getting around taking my tried-but-true Chevy Sonic on the 90-mile round trip journey.

The next day was decidedly different though, as I had to run some errands in the neighboring town. In stop-and-go traffic where speeds rarely exceed 40 MPH, the Kia Soul EV absolutely shined. It gets up to cruising speed quick enough to exude confidence, but quietly enough so even a whispered conversation in the back seat could be heard. Between my trip to target and errands around town, most of which I did in regenerative B driving mode, I managed to cover about 14 miles of actual distance, while losing just 9 miles of estimated range (78 to 69).

That’s surprisingly good, and according to the battery pack, there still about 90% of the battery life left. But the next few days will prove more interesting, as my list of errands grows exponentially. No rest for the weary and all of that.

How far can I get before range anxiety sets in for real? I’ll have my next report on Monday, so stay tuned.

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Kia Soul EV Sales Expanding To Five More States

Though it may have been a late entrant to the electric car market, Kia came out swinging with the well-recieved Soul EV. After the initial limited rollout produced higher-than-expected sales, the Kia has decided to accelerate a nationwide rollout by expanding Soul EV sales to five additional states where EV sales are booming.

The Kia Soul EV initially launched last year in California, and soon buyers in Oregon, Washington, Texas, Georgia, and Hawaii will be able to go to select Kia dealers to get a Soul EV of their own. The expansion is set to happen in the coming months with June tapped as the unofficial rollout, and additional markets will come online to get Kia’s first electric car in 2016. Executives previously said the Soul EV has been a “huge hit”, and its little wonder why the automaker would want to get its first electric car in front of more buyers.

“From the inception of the Soul EV program, Kia’s sales strategy has been progressive and pragmatic,” said Orth Hedrick, vice president of product planning, KMA. “With the level of demand and supporting infrastructure in the state, California was a natural place to start, but we’ve been carefully studying other markets. Between consumer reaction to the Soul EV and growing infrastructure programs in these five states, this is a logical – and exciting – next step in our rollout plan.”

The Soul EV offers an EPA-rated 105 miles of electric driving range, and drivers could recharge 80% of the Soul’s lithium-ion battery in just 30 minutes using a 50 kW DC fast charger. Soul EV buyers also have the option of choosing from three different home charging stations from Bosch, Aerovironment, and Leviton. The Kia Soul EV has a base price of $33,700 before federal or state tax incentives, as well as a $249 a month lease .

Source: Gas2

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.

“Smitten” Kia Soul EV Has A Sweet Tooth

The Kia Soul EV will launch in the U.S. next summer, but before then the Korean automaker wants to introduce Americans to the idea of an electric crossover in a very sweet way. Rather than try to tart up the Soul EV to better fit in with the SEMA crowd, Kia made it into an ice cream support vehicle, a much sweeter alternative.

I have attended a couple of SEMA shows, and nothing is sadder than an automaker trying to hype up a vehicle that was never intended to be a sporty showpiece. You can make a car cool without adding a whole bunch of distracting engine modifications and oversized wheels. Other automakers take note; Kia played to the strengths of the Soul EV with this concept.

Dressed in the red-and-white livery of the San Francisco-based Smitten ice cream company, Kia also added a teardrop trailer with a pull-out ice cream stand. Other than the above teaser pic though, Kia is keeping the rest of the details under wraps until next month. I’ll keep an eye out for more on this sweet concept, though I’ll add that I’ll be mighty disappointed if the Kia display doesn’t come with free ice cream.

Source: Gas 2.

Kia Soul EV Begins Production In Korea

Production of the Kia Soul EV  begun at Kia’s factory in Gwangju, Korea this week, with the first Kia Soul EV available for sale in North America in the second half of 2014. While Kia has previously offered electric cars – the Venga EV and the Ray EV – to its domestic customers, this will be the first time Kia has sold an EV outside the home country.

Kia’s experience with those home market electric vehicles has led to development of the second generation technology featured in the Soul EV. For instance, the 27 kWh battery in the new model has the highest energy density currently available in any EV, and can get an 80% recharge in just 30 minutes. Kia believes that EVs, rather than plug-in hybrids, are the way to go since most electrics now have enough range to meet the daily driving needs of the majority of customers.

Unfortunately, the 109 horsepower means acceleration from 0 to 60 MPH takes about 12 seconds, which is even longer than the Toyota Prius, and until pricing is announced, it’ll be hard to fairly compare it against cars like the Nissan Leaf. Even so, Kia has set a target of 5000 Soul EV sales this year, implying high hopes for their electric ambitions.

Source: Gas 2.

2014 CNG Civic Arrives in Chicago, On Schedule

The 2014 version of Honda’s CNG Civic sedan debuted quietly in Chicago this week, with very little of the pomp and fanfare that accompanied, say, the Kia Soul EV’s launch. Despite being a Honda fan, I’m OK with that. The cool kids know what it is, and that’s what matters. Right?

Right.

For 2014, the CNG Civic features an upgraded interior and bright blue badge work that does a better job of playing up Honda’s Earth Dreams motif than, say, the NGV stickers did on the 2011 model. Additionally, where the previous version(s) of the CNG Civic have felt a little bit like they were built as fleet specials for companies who didn’t want to save money, the newest version seems to have embraced the idea that “going green” isn’t a punishment. As such, Honda has seen fit to upgrade the interior materials and plastics of their new alt-fueler, and have added leather and alloy wheels to the mix, as well …

… the trunk space, however, is still radically compromised by the addition of the CNG tanks. While that’s not much of a problem for a company car that’s meant to shuttle project managers between job sites, it does mean that someone shopping for a clean-burning city car to put their growing family in (*ahem!*) can’t consider the CNG Civic a realistic option. Not if they’re trying to get a baby stroller into this …

… so, that kinda sucks.

Still, the continuation of the CNG Civic is great news for drivers who care about their carbon footprint and want that legendary Honda reliability. While I might lament the lack of, say, an AWD CNG Honda CR-V, however, I’m sure Honda knows what they’re doing. Expect to see more CNG Hondas in the future, then- especially if President Obama’s comments about expanding America’s natural gas infrastructure turn out to have legs. In the meantime, check out some excerpts from Honda’s official press release, below, and a few more CNG Civic pictures under that.

For 2014, the sophistication and value of the … Civic Natural Gas is enhanced with a host of new standard features, including new Display Audio with 7-inch touchscreen that allows users to pinch, swipe and tap just like a smartphone to access audio, phonebook, media, vehicle information and available navigation features. The touchscreen display is also the interface for the next-generation HondaLink™, an application-based platform that allows a seamless integration between a user’s smartphone and the car, providing access to online and cloud-based content and information both inside and outside the car.

New for 2014, the Civic Natural Gas Leather Navi model gains additional premium features such as leather seats, heated front seats, heated side mirrors and a six-speaker audio system. The Civic Natural Gas’ standard interior has also been upgraded with more premium seating materials and door panel trim.

The 2014 Civic Natural Gas will be available at Honda dealers in 37 states on February 15 with an MSRP starting at $26,640 ($29,290 for the “Navi” model) and a combined EPA rating of 31 MPG.

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

2015 Kia Soul EV Is A Safe Bet

The 2015 Kia Soul EV debuted at the Chicago Auto Show today, and besides the funky looks and Millennial appeal, the Soul EV is pretty standard fare. With between 80 and 100 miles of driving range, and acceleration on par with a Prius, the Soul EV is set up to neither impress nor disappoint.

The 81-kilowatt motor is good for 109 horsepower and 258 ft-lbs of torque, pushing the boxy Soul EV to a top speed of 90 MPH. Acceleration is quoted as “less than 12 seconds”, which could be the least-inspiring words ever uttered at a press conference. Power comes from a 27-Kwh air-cooled lithium polymer battery, which Kia claims has both the highest energy density and usable power of any comparable EVs.

While they may mean a few extra miles of driving range on the typical Sunday drive, the 2015 Kia Soul EV is about par for course as far as “affordable” electric cars go. Charging takes between 24 and 5 hours depending on your connection, and a 50 kWh CHAdeMo charger can deliver an 80% charge in just 30 minutes. Kia is working with Bosch, Aerovironment, and Leviton to provide home chargers to buyers. I’d also like to add that I enjoy the front-mounted charging port a great deal consider how most charging stations are set up.

The only place the Kia Soul EV can really differentiate itself is pricing, which will be announced closer to launch. Initial availability will also be limited to the EV-friendly California and Oregon, as well as a select metro areas on the eastern seaboard. It’s a cautious first step into the EV market for Kia, but at least they chose their funkiest carry to carry the zero emissions flag.

Source:  Gas 2.

Kia Soul EV Details Released, Includes 120+ Mile Range

The Kia Soul has a hot marketing campaign, strong sales, and to top it all off an all-electric version on the way. Information on the Kia Soul EV have been few and far between, but Kia has released some tasty details, including a claimed range of 120+ miles between charges. Is this tomfoolery, or a legitimate EV contender?

It depends entirely on what the official EPA rating of the Kia Soul EV is, though with a 27 kWh battery pack, gaining a legitimate 120 miles between charges would be an incredible accomplishment. Comparable vehicles, like the Nissan Leaf, are rated at just 75 miles between charges from a 24 kWh battery pack, though the Fiat 500e claims 82 miles per-charge from a battery pack the same size.

If the Kia Soul EV could offer at least 100 real-world miles per charge, that’d be a significant improvement over the current crop of contenders. The Kia Soul EV will also have 109 horsepower and 207 ft-lbs of torque, on par with with other EVs, and should accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in under 12 seconds.

Pricing information hasn’t been released yet, though again it should align with other competitors, and initial sales are likely to be limited to the West Coast. Overseas deliveries will begin in late 2014, and the Kia Soul EV likely won’t reach America until 2015 at the soonest, a bit later than some estimations. Will Korea’s first pure electric car be a real contender, or just another compliance car meant to meet CARB regulations?

Source: Gas2.0