http://green.autoblog.com/2014/11/14/kia-sold-123-north-american-soul-evs-in-october/ Kia sold 123 North American Soul EVs in October By Danny King Nov 14th 2014
[images http://o.aolcdn.com/hss/storage/midas/c1feb9416e3a9b5c9f2eae231cf09d5/201090938/kia.jpg 2015 Kia Soul EV http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2015-kia-soul/#photo-2944202/ (photos) ] How happy were those Kia hamsters last month? We're guessing they were pretty pleased, because reports are out that the South Korean automaker sold 123 Kia Soul electric vehicles in North America during the model's first month of sales on the continent. Now crank up that funky music. Kia sold 109 Soul EVs in the US and another 14 in Canada, Kia-World reports (the site is unaffiliated with the automaker). Kia's expected to move about 5,000 Soul EVs in North America by the end of next year. Kia spokesman James Hope, in an e-mail to AutoblogGreen, said the automaker doesn't specifically disclose the number of gas and electric Soul models it sells in North America. Those volume numbers are on par with lower-volume electric variants of conventional models that are generally positioned as "compliance" vehicles (i.e., vehicles sold specifically to comply with California's zero-emissions vehicle mandate). For instance, the Ford Focus Electric sold 186 units in the US last month, while the Smart ForTwo ED electric moved 150 vehicles. Honda sold 23 Fit EVs in October. The Kia Soul EV has base price of $33,700 and a single-charge range of 93 miles ... [© green.autoblog.com] ... http://www.kia-world.net/soul-ev-october-2014-sales-figures-usa-canada/ Soul EV October 2014 Sales Figures – USA, Canada ... [dated] http://www.autoblog.com/2014/10/16/2015-kia-soul-ev-review-quick-spin/ Quick Spin 2015 Kia Soul EV By Michael Zak Oct 16th 2014 http://triblive.com/business/headlines/7141212-74/soul-kia-car Kia's 1st electric vehicle charges fast, goes distance By Ann M. Job Nov. 14, 2014 On the Grid From the shale fields to the cooling towers, Trib Total Media covers the energy industry in Western Pennsylvania and beyond. For the latest news and views on gas, coal, electricity and more, check out On the Grid today. 2015 Kia Soul EV Plus Base price: $33,700 for base model; $35,700 for EV Plus. Price as tested: $36,500. Type: All-electric, front-wheel drive, five-passenger, small wagon. Engine: 81.4-kilowatt, AC electric motor mated to a 27-kilowatt hour lithium-ion polymer, onboard battery pack. Mileage: Equivalent to 120 mpg (city), 92 mpg (highway). Finally, there is an all-electric car for people who thought they would never want one. The 2015 Kia Soul EV is a normal-looking Soul with a useful travel range of nearly 100 miles on a single charge, stable ride and handling, generous and flexible cargo space, comfortable seating and fast-charge capability. Indeed, the built-in, direct-current, fast-charge port in the Soul EV allows for 80 percent of the onboard battery to be recharged from empty in as little as 33 minutes. Most importantly, the Kia Soul EV, which is rated by the federal government at 105 miles per gallon-equivalent in combined city/highway travel, has a starting manufacturer's suggested retail price, including destination charge, of $34,500. This price includes, among other things, standard heated steering wheel, heated front seats and outside mirrors, rear camera, navigation system, AM/FM/Sirius satellite radio, Bluetooth hands-free phone connectivity, six air bags and a five-year subscription to Kia's UVO online services with EV features. Kia's 10-year/100,000-mile limited warranty is included, too. The Soul EV qualifies for a $7,500 federal government tax credit, so a buyer may reduce his or her income taxes by up to $7,500 for the year that the car is purchased. This newest electric vehicle — and the first from South Korea's Kia — is sold in California and will spread to more states in 2015. It's in the price range of competitors. Tesla's sporty-looking Model S sedan with 208-mile range as a base, 2014 model, has a starting retail price, including destination fee, of $71,070. The top-selling electric car in the United States — the Nissan Leaf — has an 84-mile travel range on a full charge and carries an MSRP, including destination charge, of $29,860. The Soul EV rides with more heft than its four-cylinder-engine sibling. The test car effortlessly zipped ahead of other vehicles from stoplights. Brightly colored gauges encourage fuel-efficient driving, but an “eco” mode can be turned off for a less-resistant feel to the accelerator pedal. Travel was mostly quiet. A high-pitched, electrical “whir” sound sometimes could be heard, particularly with the windows down, and the low-friction tires conveyed some road noise. Kia engineers installed a subtle, bell-like chime that activates when the Soul is in reverse to alert nearby pedestrians. The rear camera is a lifesaver, because window pillars at the sides of the rear liftgate window are thick and obscure the view of approaching traffic as the Soul backs up. The test car was fully charged by a regular, 120-volt outlet in a home garage overnight, and a 240-volt charger at a public parking garage cut the time to less than four hours. The UVO telematics system lists the locations of 240-volt chargers and fast chargers. Driving the Soul EV with care and coasting extended the range. Thoughtful features include big, bright blue lights atop the dashboard that tell if the car is charging or fully charged. They can be seen from all sides of the car. [© triblive.com] ... http://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/autos/foreign/2014/11/14/kias-soulful-first-electric-car/19062117/ Kia's 'Soulful' first electric car Ann M. Job, Associated Press November 14, 2014 http://www.telegraph.co. [you kay] /motoring/car-manufacturers/kia/11229507/Electric-Kia-Soul-EV-tested.html Electric Kia Soul EV tested By Chris Knapman 15 Nov 2014 [image http://i.telegraph.co. [you kay] /multimedia/archive/03105/Kia-Soul-EV-front_3105886b.jpg Kia Soul EV front ] Electric cars such as the Kia Soul EV would be so much better if you lived on a tiny island, says Chris Knapman The Kia Soul EV costs from [GBP]24,995, including the Goverment's [GBP]5,000 plug-in car grant Owning an electric vehicle isn’t easy when you don’t have a driveway. Because more important even than how cheap they are to run, cars must first and foremost make our lives easier than they would otherwise be. If charging is a chore, this ceases to be the case. But what if there was some kind of alternative reality, identical in many ways to life as we know it, but better suited to electric cars? A place big enough to explore but small enough that no journey could use a full charge, with no power-sapping motorways and where most property comes with its own parking. Sounds great, doesn’t it? And that’s before you get to the delicious dairy and world-class spuds. Yes, I’m talking about Jersey, and if I lived there I’d buy an electric car faster than you can say moo. As a visitor in an electric car, however, things aren’t quite so rosy. Yes, there are charging points, but using them isn’t a case of simply pre-registering online or swiping your credit card and being charged as you charge. No, you need a key, and it has to be obtained from the headquarters of the island’s energy supplier. Inconvenient, but nothing compared with the moment you phone up and discover that the only employee who knows the whereabouts of said key has gone home for the day. And therein lies the issue with electric cars. It’s not that they’re not good, but that there always seems to be an obstacle of some sort. This is a shame because the cars themselves are getting pretty good. Take the new Kia Soul EV which, along with Jersey Royals and the best milk I’ve ever tasted, is the subject of this week’s review. It features the most advanced lithium-ion battery to be used in a car, which, combined with a very efficient heating system, gives a range of up to 132 miles between charges. Another positive is the fact that, aside from a slightly higher floor in the back of the car to house the batteries, the electric running gear doesn’t impinge on practicality. Plus, it being a Kia, you still get a seven-year warranty. The interior of the Kia Soul EV features an 8in touchscreen as standard It’s really quite pleasant to drive, too, with no whine from the motor and that addictive accelerative punch you get from electric propulsion. No, it’s not fast (it’s all out at 90mph), and yes, you can still see the range fall when you give it some welly, but for most of the time it’s fine. The interior is nicely appointed (including a superb screen for the satnav), the suspension pretty compliant and the whole car is very easy to operate. The batteries are under the floor, so boot space is unchanged compared with petrol and diesel versions However, at [GBP]24,995 after the Government’s plug-in car grant, the Soul EV is dangerously close to BMW i3 money, and at that point it must bow to what is a more desirable vehicle. Therefore, you might conclude that even Kia’s modest sales target of 100 cars a year is optimistic. So it’s not the electric car to buy, but then nor is the i3. Rather, that honour falls to the Nissan Leaf, not because it’s the best (although it is very good), but because with a bit of searching you’ll find it is staggering value, with dealers willing to knock thousands of pounds off to make a sale. [© telegraph.co. [you kay] ] ... http://www.businesscarmanager.co.uk/kia-starts-selling-soul-ev-uk/ Kia starts selling Soul EV in the UK For EVLN posts use: http://evdl.org/evln/ http://www.evdl.org/archive/index.html#nabble+template%2FNamlServlet.jtp%3Fmacro%3Dsearch_page%26node%3D413529%26query%3DEVLN%2Bbrucedp2%26days%3D0%26sort%3Ddate http://www.ferret.com.au/articles/news/super-capacitor-breakthrough-to-boost-power-of-electric-cars-n2519064 Super capacitor breakthrough to boost power of electric cars http://www.ecnmag.com/news/2014/11/supercapacitors-combine-regular-batteries-boost-power-electric-cars "Supercapacitors" combine with batteries to boost the power of EVs ... http://gadgets.ndtv.com/science/news/electric-cars-could-soon-be-charged-by-their-own-bodies-617650 http://www.ibtimes.com/wireless-electric-rail-begins-testing-kaohsiung-taiwan-worlds-first-completely-cable-1722488 Taiwan's $.5B World's 1st Cable-Free Supercapacitor Light-rail System + EVLN: Supercapacitors could get Tesla their 7credit-EV {brucedp.150m.com} -- View this message in context: http://electric-vehicle-discussion-list.413529.n4.nabble.com/EVLN-123-N-American-Soul-EVs-sold-in-Oct-Charges-Quick-Longer-Range-tp4672701.html Sent from the Electric Vehicle Discussion List mailing list archive at Nabble.com. _______________________________________________ UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www.evdl.org/help/index.html#usub http://lists.evdl.org/listinfo.cgi/ev-evdl.org For EV drag racing discussion, please use NEDRA (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NEDRA)
