Kia has unveiled the 2015 Kia Soul EV today in Chicago ahead of its arrival in showrooms later this year.
Kia has unveiled the 2015 Kia Soul EV today in Chicago ahead of its arrival in showrooms later this year. The 2015 Soul EV is Kia’s first fully electric car offered in the U.S.
The 2015 Soul EV retains the same exterior styling as the standard Soul, but underneath the hood, the Soul EV is powered by an electric motor with 109 horsepower and 210 lb-ft. of torque. A 27kWh lithium-ion polymer battery is placed beneath the floor and gives the Soul EV a range of 80-100 miles. If speed is a concern as well, the Soul EV will reach 0-60 mph in under 12 seconds with a top speed electronically limited to approximately 90 mph.
On the outside the only major difference between the standard Soul and the Soul EV is that the standard grille has been swapped out and now houses the charging ports for the Soul EV. Two charging ports are standard, including a SAE J1772 port for Level 1 and Level 2 AC, and a CHAdeMo DC fast-charging port. Charging times can take anywhere from 24 hours for a fully depleted battery using a standard 120-volt outlet and under five hours when plugged into a 240-volt outlet. An 80-percent charge can be achieved in as little as 33 minutes with a 50 kW-output charger.
Kia hasn’t announced the pricing for the 2015 Soul EV, but has announced that the Soul EV will initially be sold in California and Oregon in the West and several Eastern states including New York, New Jersey and Maryland.
Source: Kia
