Kia Soul EV starts production
The impressive all-electric Kia Soul EV will reach the UK’s shores later this year after the carmaker announced that volume production has begun.
It’s the firm’s first all-electric car to be marketed outside of Korea and the battery will take the car for an impressive 131 miles, which will make it appealing to commuters.
The Soul EV manages to reach the figure by utilising a number of new features such as a smart air intake control system, a new heat pump and an individual ventilation system.
Kia Soul EV has the power
Under the bonnet there’s an 81.4kW electric motor which produces a useful 285Nm of torque which will take the car from 0 to 62 mph in 11 seconds. Its top speed is 90 mph.
Another big attraction to the Kia Soul EV is that the battery can be recharged by plugging into the household electricity supply and a full charge will take around five hours, much quicker than some competitors.
There’s also the option of using a special charger that will take 25 minutes to recharge the battery to 80% of its capacity.
Green credentials for the Kia Soul EV
In addition, the Kia Soul EV makes extensive use of bio-based plastic and organic material so that most of the car will be easy to recycle at the end of its life.
With demand in the UK for electric vehicles growing quickly, the Kia Soul EV should find its place in the market and there’s a lot going for it.
On board the car is stylish and well laid out, there’s also a lot of cabin space and the car handles really well. The bonus for commuters is that it’s a comfortable car with a lot going for it. In addition, it’s also going to be very cheap to run – the recharge should cost less than £2 and it will not be eligible for London’s congestion charge.
Kia is now taking orders for its Soul EV which goes on sale in the UK late this year.