Official Kia Soul EV thread

[RonDawg]

Missed it by THAT much....
/MaxwellSmart

I was in downtown Azusa this morning and even drove by that QC.

 

[evnow]

Sadly you're probably right. I wonder what we have to do to get compliance cars in Oregon.

could the answer be having your legislature pass laws that force manufacturers to sell X amount of bev cars?

See my sticky thread on CA ZEV rules.

Basically there are 14 (13?) states that requite 0.79% of the vehicles sold to be ZEV. BUT, a manufacturer can satisfy the quota in state A using cars sold in state B - just that they only get partial credit. The result is that an OEM can sell cars just in CA that satisfy the requirements in all ZEV states ! Bummer.

 

[nosuchthing]

Why do car companies bother with this "camo"? No one would notice the car without it. The effort to hide the car is completely counterintuitive. It screams to be stared at.

 

[LTLFTcomposite]

I have a theory just about all manufacturers will come out with compliance cars. You know that paying money to competitors to buy credits must really stick in their craw.

 

[JeremyW]

Wow what were the odds! Very cool to see this in the wild, especially with the gang!

The Nav is "widescreen" compared to ours. Also had some nice leather and a B mode on the shifter. Apparently the nav isn't working because I nabbed a pic of a clipboard inside the car with a route on it. Looks like they're doing some battery testing. 156 Mile loop around the inland empire. The engineer/tester had a card that the blink wasn't reading but finally got it going on the left hand side. Wouldn't say anything to us, but as he walked away to I shouted to him to check out my plate, which he gave me the thumbs up for. Did not hear any sort of cooling fan or pumps during fast charging. I'm intrigued. I hope the final version still has CHAdeMO. I also really have a soft spot for box cars (yes I know its terrible )

40% to 80% in 12 minutes. Take that as you will. Sorry the Blink doesn't give kW or kWh readings for us to sleuth more info. But if Tony is correct...

The clipboard driving directions

 

[RonDawg]

Why do car companies bother with this "camo"? No one would notice the car without it. The effort to hide the car is completely counterintuitive. It screams to be stared at.

The Soul will have a re-design for 2014 and while it looks mostly like the old car, it's actually a new design, based on the 2nd gen Cee'd and Forte. Perhaps they don't want to show it off in public yet except at places like car shows and media events:

As to why they don't just use an older one retrofitted with an EV pack, perhaps this is a near-production prototype that they want to test out before giving the green light to the factory.

 

[apvbguy]

Sadly you're probably right. I wonder what we have to do to get compliance cars in Oregon.

could the answer be having your legislature pass laws that force manufacturers to sell X amount of bev cars?

See my sticky thread on CA ZEV rules.

Basically there are 14 (13?) states that requite 0.79% of the vehicles sold to be ZEV. BUT, a manufacturer can satisfy the quota in state A using cars sold in state B - just that they only get partial credit. The result is that an OEM can sell cars just in CA that satisfy the requirements in all ZEV states ! Bummer.

that is a flaw in the legislation of the states that enacted the laws that allow such practices, if people, like the guy from OR, want things to change they need to become proactive and agitate their legislature to enact provisions that close that loophole.

 

[gsleaf]

Looks like more evidence that the Kia Soul EV won't be a compliance car.

http://insideevs.com/us-kia-dealership-decides-to-add-electric-vehicle-quick-charge-station-we-explain-why/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[TomT]

Had a Kia Soul EV next to me yesterday on the 101 freeway in Hollywood... He gave me a thumbs up in the Leaf.

 

[gsleaf]

Had a Kia Soul EV next to me yesterday on the 101 freeway in Hollywood... He gave me a thumbs up in the Leaf.

Nice. I still wave to all the EVs I see out there. I can't wait till get get some more technical details about the Soul EV. Specifically what type of battery/size, if it has active thermal management and what sort of heater it has.

 

[gsleaf]

No specifics yet, but it looks like it's officially launching in 2014.

http://insideevs.com/kia-confirms-soul-ev-to-launch-in-us-in-2014" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Edit: yeah I meant 2014 not 2015.

 

[Bicster]

Anyone have a good guess as to which US auto show they plan to reveal it at?

 

[LTLFTcomposite]

No specifics yet, but it looks like it's officially launching in 2015.

http://insideevs.com/kia-confirms-soul-ev-to-launch-in-us-in-2014/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

You mean 2014?

 

[edatoakrun]

From Kia's recent press release:

All-Electric Kia Soul Under Development For U.S. Market

New Kia Soul EV targets a range of more than 120 miles
109-hp motor produces 210 lb.-ft. of torque for an electrifying driving experience
Ideal for city commuters, the Soul EV will go on sale in 2014

IRVINE, Calif., Nov. 11, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Kia Motors has confirmed the development of an all-electric version of the Kia Soul, scheduled to go on sale in 2014. The 'Kia Soul EV' will be Kia's first all-electric, zero-emissions vehicle marketed outside of Korea.

"The new Soul EV will be at the forefront of Kia's 'Clean Mobility' program, which aims to provide environmentally-friendly vehicles to our customers around the world, when it goes on sale globally next year," said Kia Motors America's executive director of product planning, Orth Hedrick. "Although it is Kia's first globally sold all-electric vehicle, the Soul EV is our second-generation battery electric vehicle and significantly benefits from the in-depth knowledge gained during development of the Ray EV sold in Korea."

The Soul EV takes its design cues from the recently-launched second-generation Kia Soul. With a target range of more than 120 miles, this uniquely designed battery electric vehicle is practical for everyday use and perfectly suited for city commuters.

Equipped with a high-capacity 27 kWh lithium-ion polymer battery pack, the Soul EV is expected to offer a driving range of more than 120 miles on a single charge. In an effort to maximize efficiency and range, the vehicle recycles back into the battery the energy generated while the car is coasting and braking.

The Soul EV makes charging easy by plugging into any standard outlet. Recharging times are up to five hours for a fully depleted battery using a standard 240v outlet, or 25 minutes on 'fast' charge with 100 kW output.

The front-wheel drive Soul EV prototype test cars currently under development are built on modified versions of the 2014 Kia Soul and are powered by a 109-hp electric motor, producing a generous 210 lb.-ft. of torque. The motor delivers its power to the front wheels through a single speed constant ratio gear reduction unit. Accelerating from 0-62 mph in less than 12 seconds with a top speed in the region of 90 mph, the Soul EV promises to remain true to the Soul's fun-to-drive reputation...

http://www.autoblog.com/2013/11/11/kia-soul-ev-first-specs-details-timetable/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I wonder what that means?

Anyone think that its BMS might allow charging at rates greater than ~2C?

 

[pkulak]

What kind of charger will even give you that output, apart from Superchargers? Seems fishy. That's a hell of a lot of current going into a 27 kWh battery.

 

[edatoakrun]

What kind of charger will even give you that output, apart from Superchargers? Seems fishy. That's a hell of a lot of current going into a 27 kWh battery.

Well, assuming Kia sticks with CHAdeMO, as used on the test Souls:

...The majority of utility companies around the world supported CHAdeMO’s view in eventually setting the most appropriate power level at 50KW.

In the future, as the price of the power units continues to decrease and the performance of the battery continues to improve, faster and higher power chargers be eventually necessary. In fact, the geometry of CHAdeMO connector is designed to allow for 200A, which means it can almost double its power level...

http://www.chademo.com/wp/technology/optimal/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

But no one is manufacturing CHAdeMO chargers at more than ~50 kW, AFAIK.

 

[TonyWilliams]

... But no one is manufacturing CHAdeMO chargers at more than ~50 kW, AFAIK.

Actually, 62.5kW, 500 volts * 125 amps. Maximum design limit is 500v * 200a = 100kW

The problem is that the LEAF can only take about 48kW (394 volts * 120 amps).

I suspect the Kia Soul EV will similarly be charged at about 50kW, even on a 100kW or bigger charger.

 

[ydnas7]

to date Kia has built about 800 Ray EVs in Korea, - voluntarily- that had wanted to build 2,000 in 2012, but it came out at 800 units

(Ray EV is based on the Kia Ray and has a 16kWh battery)

and the Soul EV is the bigger brother to that.

so I would expect the Kia Soul EV will be the first real competitor to the Nissan LEAF, and a likely upgrade path.
It remains a city car, but the new Soul's are based on the Forte so they should be more substantial than expected.

 

[KJD]

so I would expect the Kia Soul EV will be the first real competitor to the Nissan LEAF, and a likely upgrade path.
It remains a city car, but the new Soul's are based on the Forte so they should be more substantial than expected.

I would really like for someone to give Nissan some competition, but not sure this will be the one.

When I read press releases that claim 120 mile range from 27kWh battery pack, then I am a skeptic right off the bat. I would guess that EPA range is closer to 85 or 90 at the most.

There was a write up on the car on InsideEVs today.
http://insideevs.com/kia-soul-ev-to-launch-in-us-in-2014-with-27-kwh-battery-pack-range-of-more-than-120-miles-and-quick-charge-capability/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[TomT]

I think the Soul is still too funky a car to be much of an upgrade path... I know it would not interest me for that reason.

so I would expect the Kia Soul EV will be the first real competitor to the Nissan LEAF, and a likely upgrade path.