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Kia unveils Soul EV at Chicago

February 7, 2014
Orth Hedrick, vice president of product planning at Kia Motors America, poses next to the automaker’s Soul EV at the Chicago Auto Show, Friday. (Courtesy of Kia Motors)

Orth Hedrick, vice president of product planning at Kia Motors America, poses next to the automaker’s Soul EV at the Chicago Auto Show, Friday.
(Courtesy of Kia Motors)

By Kim Tae-jong

Kia Motors on Friday unveiled the all-electric Soul at the Chicago Auto Show, which will run through Feb. 17.

The Soul electric vehicle (EV) will be available for commercial sales in Korea in the first half of the year and will also be introduced in the U.S. in the third quarter.

The nation’s second-largest automaker believes that its first mass market electric vehicle will strengthen its brand image as a “green” carmaker along with the revamped K5 hybrid, which is sold under the different name of the Optima Hybrid in U.S., and the Niro hybrid concept car.

“The new Soul EV is at the forefront of Kia’s ‘Clean Mobility’ program and will offer an even more environmentally friendly option to our customers when it goes on sale later this year,” said Orth Hedrick, vice president of product planning at Kia Motors America.

Kia’s commitment to the environment has recently been recognized because it won a certification from the Underwriters Laboratory for integrating more than 20 bio-friendly materials in the construction of the Soul EV.

The company said it will first start selling the new EV in California and Oregon and also several Eastern states including New York, New Jersey and Maryland, the regions with the largest EV markets and infrastructure.

According to Kia, the Soul EV comes equipped with an 81.4 kilowatt electric motor, which can generate 109 horsepower with a maximum torque of 29 kilograms-meters. It can reach 100 kilometers per hour within 12 seconds.

It also said that the car can travel up to 148 kilometers when fully charged, and can be easily recharged.

It can be recharged by plugging into any standard outlet at home or a 240-volt EV charger, as the two charging ports are a standard option, offering flexibility.

Recharging times vary from 24 hours for a fully depleted battery using a standard outlet at home but it take less than five hours when plugged into a 240-volt EV outlet. An 80-percent charge can be achieved in 25 minutes with a quick charger.

In an effort to maximize efficiency and range, Kia also used various advanced technology for the Soul EV.

It is equipped with Kia’s third-generation regenerative braking system to capture up to 12 percent of the car’s kinetic energy, which is fed back into the battery while the Soul EV is coasting and braking.

Although a price for the Soul EV has not been announced, the impressive specifications of the new vehicle have drawn much attention from drivers in the U.S, which has seen a rapidly-growing demand for EVs.

According to recent data, Telsa Motors sold 19,000 of its luxury Telsa Model S sedan, while Nissan Motor sold 22,000 Leafs and General Motors sold 23,000 Volts.

Several European carmakers, including BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi, have introduced or plan to launch electric propulsion vehicles in 2014 to comply with strict new emission rules.