The 2015 KIA Soul EV made its debut at the Chicago Auto Show with an estimated 80-100 mile driving range from its 81-kilowatt electric motor.
That motor will deliver 109 horsepower and 210 lb-ft of torque to the front wheels of the 2015 KIA Soul EV. Although not an astounding amount of power, it’s still enough to get it from 0-60 in under 12 seconds. The vehicle’s top speed is an electronically limited 90 MPH.
This will be the very first all-electric, zero-emissions vehicle that KIA has ever sold in the US market and is expected to go on sale in the third quarter of this year. Initially it will be sold in California and Oregon and select states on the East Coast including New York, New Jersey and Maryland. Additional markets will be added as the infrastructure and demand grow.
The 2015 KIA Soul EV has a 27 kWh, air-cooled, lithium-ion polymer battery located under its floor to minimize its intrusion into the vehicle. The 360 volt 96-cell lithium-ion polymer battery has been engineered for high capacity to help achieve an 80-100 mile driving range.
KIA’s third-generation regenerative braking system is also part of the 2015 KIA Soul EV. It recaptures up to 12 percent of the car’s kinetic energy and then feeds it back into the battery during coasting and braking.
The vehicle can be charged simply by plugging it into a standard 120v outlet or 240v EV charger. There is a SAE J1772 charging port for Level 1 and Level 2 AC, and a CHAdeMo DC fast-charging port (480v), both located behind a sliding door in the front grille.
The interior is very similar to the gasoline powered Soul, though it does lose 5.1 cubic feet of cargo space due to the battery. The exterior, however, is noticeably different. It’s got a closed off grille, more aerodynamic front fascia, and three two-tone color options that will make it distinctively a 2015 KIA Soul EV.
Pricing has yet to be announced and will likely come closer to the vehicle’s sale date.
Nicole Wakelin fell in love with cars as a teenager when she got to go for a ride in a Ferrari. It was red and it was fast and that was all that mattered. Game over. She considers things a bit more carefully now, but still has a weakness for fast, beautiful cars. Nicole also writes for NerdApproved and GeekMom.
