Official Kia Soul EV thread

[ydnas7]

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

This probably is closer to the one, than any other manufacturer, but
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/Find.do?action=sbs&id=34493&id=33415&id=33518" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
increased battery capacity will be offset by the fact that the Soul will probably be bulkier than the Forte or the Sentra.

 

[RonDawg]

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.

And the Leaf isn't funky? There are a lot more Souls than Leafs on the roads (though I admit that price is a very high factor in that) so the Soul's styling isn't as off-putting as you think.

I personally am interested.

 

[TomT]

Yes, it is... That is the whole point. Since they are both funky, the Soul would not be an upgrade... In addition to performing better, with a better battery, my next EV also has to be better looking. The Soul is not the latter and only very slightly the former...

Historically the Soul has sold to the same market as the Scion and similar vehicles from other manufactures, mainly because they are inexpensive... I'm not sure this demographic would buy EVs nearly as enthusiastically...

And the Leaf isn't funky?

 

[RonDawg]

Historically the Soul has sold to the same market as the Scion and similar vehicles from other manufactures, mainly because they are inexpensive... I'm not sure this demographic would buy EVs nearly as enthusiastically...

Oh I disagree with you. I think this demographic is very receptive to EVs, if it weren't for the price of them. The younger buyers who are part of the Soul's demographic are keen to try out new technologies, and tend to be more environmentally conscious, plus it helps that they can spend their gas money on frivolities like electronics and going to concerts. But if they can't afford the car in the first place...

If you can get the price below $25k (before any government incentives) I think the market will take off.

 

[smkettner]

just give the young buyers a low lease and it will move.
20% more range than LEAF is a significant advantage.

 

[gsleaf]

Do we know if it will have active cooling? That would be a huge advantage over the Leaf.

 

[TomT]

But in that demographic it is very much about the price so one can't say "if it weren't for the price..."

Oh I disagree with you. I think this demographic is very receptive to EVs, if it weren't for the price of them.

 

[TonyWilliams]

The battery is only 12.5% larger (27kWh -vs- 24kWh), and I doubt it's MORE aerodynamic.

It won't go 20% more. This is standard PR bullshit. Maybe 10% more than an 84 mile EPA rated LEAF, which is about 93 miles EPA for the Soul EV.

 

[DaveEV]

I wonder what that means?

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

Jeremy mentioned early on that it did 40-80% in 12 minutes.

So while it may be capable of 100 kW (full CHAdeMO spec), I do suspect that it allows for higher charge rates than the LEAF. At the very least, 40% SOC on a 27 kWh battery (assuming ~23 kWh usable) in 12 minutes is 9-10 kWh which would mean that the Blink was running at 54 kW+ the entire time.

 

[ydnas7]

The battery is only 12.5% larger (27kWh -vs- 24kWh), and I doubt it's MORE aerodynamic.

It won't go 20% more. This is standard PR bullshit. Maybe 10% more than an 84 mile EPA rated LEAF, which is about 93 miles EPA for the Soul EV.

I doubt it will go even 10% more, its probably sized to match the LEAF's range.

the range is not PR bull, it'll just be the range according to some asian standard, just be patient until the EPA range is given.

 

[rslatkin]

I was happy to read that the battery is not taking up any of the interior space of the car. It seems like most (all?) of the EVs that are based on existing gas cars end up missing most of their cargo room.

 

[edatoakrun]

First photos w/o camo at the slide show linked below:

A few days before its on-stage reveal at the Chicago Auto Show, the production version of the 2015 Kia Soul EV has been spotted, tagged and bagged in this series of spy shots. On the EV captured by our photographer's lens, we can see unusual baby blue accents on top, on the mirrors and up front, as well as a closed-off "Tiger Nose" that is both taller and larger than the grille on the standard Soul...

http://green.autoblog.com/2014/02/03/2015-kia-soul-ev-production-model/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I sure hope that (one side of?) the front grille cover opens to both an AC and CHAdeMO DC port, as required to make it worthy of consideration, IMO.

If so, it could be a very useful alternative to the LEAF for those who could really use a few more kWh of range, such as leafca, posting at this thread:

http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=15749&start=10" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[RonDawg]

At $35-40k, Kia is going to have a tough time competing with the Leaf unless there's something truly special about the car (and having an extra 3 kWH is not enough IMHO to justify the extra $6k) or they can offer super-cheap lease deals.

EDIT: in one of the photos, it looks like a guy was getting out of the passenger seat and was about to beat up the photographer

 

[gsleaf]

At $35-40k, Kia is going to have a tough time competing with the Leaf unless there's something truly special about the car (and having an extra 3 kWH is not enough IMHO to justify the extra $6k) or they can offer super-cheap lease deals.

EDIT: in one of the photos, it looks like a guy was getting out of the passenger seat and was about to beat up the photographer

What if the battery doesn't degrade super rapidly in non-cool climates?

 

[RonDawg]

Most EV newbies have no idea about battery degradation.

 

[gsleaf]

Most EV newbies have no idea about battery degradation.

Good point and if you're leasing it may not matter that much.

 

[jsongster]

too small interior... compliance car... glad to see it available...sort of...

more the merrier?

 

[nosuchthing]

That is no 120-mile EV. Haven't they learned from Nissan not to mislead public about the range? Three extra kWs add a maximum of 12 miles to the Leaf range. And we all know what that is...

Yeah, it's 120 miles at 45 mph. And who does that?

 

[ydnas7]

That is no 120-mile EV. Haven't they learned from Nissan not to mislead public about the range? Three extra kWs add a maximum of 12 miles to the Leaf range. And we all know what that is...

Yeah, it's 120 miles at 45 mph. And who does that?

Haven't the US public learnt that global stated range figures may not relate to them.
Seriously, Kia USA hasn't said anything about this EV's range have they?

45mph, many cities in Asia average far far less than that. http://www.dpreview.com/challenges/Entry.aspx?ID=768719&View=Results" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[jsongster]

YMMV... Your Mileage May Vary...