Another milestone for Kia with the all-electric Soul entering production in Korea.
Kia is planning an annual production run of 5,000 vehicles for the all-electric Soul which boasts a range between re-charges of 212kms.
The Kia Soul EV is propelled by an 81.4kW electric motor and with 285Nm on tap, promises a fun driving experience. Zero to 100km/h takes around 11.2 seconds and the top speed is 145km/h.
“Although it is Kia’s first globally-sold all-electric vehicle, the Soul EV is our second-generation battery electric vehicle and benefits significantly from our in-depth experience gained from development of the Ray EV and proven daily operations of the Ray EV fleet in Korea for the past three years,” explained Kia vice president Thomas Oh.
Home battery charging from zero takes around five hours but an 80 per-cent charged is delivered in just 25 minutes if you install a 100kW charger or 33 minutes with a 50kW DC charger.
Technology providing that 212kms driving range is impressive: 200Wh/kg battery cell density and energy-saving systems like a new heat pump, air intake control system and a new ventilation system which doesn’t draw power from the battery plus – of course – regenerative braking.
