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Kia Soul EV

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vfx

Well-Known Member
Aug 18, 2006
14,790
52
CA CA
  • The all-electric Soul will be a front-wheel drive model, carrying a 27 kWh lithium-ion polymer battery pack.
  • The Soul EV will be "powered by a 109-hp electric motor, producing a generous 210 lb.-ft. of torque".
  • Zero-to-62 mph time is expected to clock in at a ho-hum 12 seconds, give or take.
  • The all-electric Soul tops out around 90 mph.
  • To address concerns about electric cars and hybrids being so quiet as to pose a danger to pedestrians, the "Soul EV will be equipped with a Virtual Engine Sound System (VESS) that emits an audio alert at speeds below 12 mph and whenever the car is in reverse."
  • Recharging the Soul EV's completely depleted battery should take around five hours on a standard 240v outlet. If you have access to a fast-charge 100 kW outlet, that time is reduced to just 25 minutes.
  • Range is expected to be roughly 120 miles.


http://www.thecarconnection.com/news/1088375_kia-soul-electric-car-more-details-emerge
 
It will be a great car to have on the market, but that 120-mile range estimate is some city test. The EPA rating will be way less than that. I am not sure why automakers keep trying so hard to disappoint their customers.
 
So automakers who don't even have an EV out yet, but will in two years, will already be behind when the Gen III comes out a year or two after that? Crazy, just crazy. I don't get their mentality, the new product will already be outdated. So frustrating.
 
So automakers who don't even have an EV out yet, but will in two years, will already be behind when the Gen III comes out a year or two after that? Crazy, just crazy. I don't get their mentality, the new product will already be outdated. So frustrating.

The ICEV manufacturers have ICEVs they can sell. They will build compliance cars right up until they think they have a more profitable mass-market BEV. They're trapped by the innovator's dilemma and being a business that depends very heavily on volume. Don't confuse not making a car with not doing R&D. HyunKia makes hybrids so they already do motors, inverters and regen.

Tesla is a BEV company and they need to sell BEVs. Tesla aims to have a $35k base long-range electric car. They aren't there yet and they have to be evolutionary to get there. Every dollar by which they miss that base price will hurt sales, and there's a rapid fall-off in volume at higher prices. (I'd be one of those for whom missing the base price means no purchase). But, similarly, the Model S starting at $70k doesn't mean they need to save $35k of manufacturing costs.

The advantage Tesla has over other manufacturers is not that they're currently building BEVs, it's their approach to BEV. Fast-evolving cell technology, commodity cell form factor, induction motors, aluminum chassis, pre-pay fast chargers in subprime spots in existing parking lots, online sales, small company-owned showrooms in malls, no paid advertising, separate service centers. Cost control and scalability.
 
The advantage Tesla has over other manufacturers is not that they're currently building BEVs, it's their approach to BEV. Fast-evolving cell technology, commodity cell form factor, induction motors, aluminum chassis, pre-pay fast chargers in subprime spots in existing parking lots, online sales, small company-owned showrooms in malls, no paid advertising, separate service centers. Cost control and scalability.

I wouldn't characterise Tesla having an advantage due to fast-evolving cell technology or commodity cell form factor. They do have a great benefit in not having to go through car dealers.
 
Normally I am not a fan of news agencies, but I have read a lot of articles about this car that state the 120 mile range (from the manufacture) figure and say EPA will be more like 80-90. Really goes to show that there are actually some journalists out there that are starting to understand how EV's work.
 
It's interesting to see how every car manufacturer (expect Tesla) makes their EVs with a max range of 80-100 miles.
It's not a coincidence. It's because they get 3 ZEV credits for every 100+ mile UDDS (city) range EV they make. The next step up is 200+ mile, but that only gives them 1 extra credit. So just getting barely above 100 miles of UDDS range makes the most sense for most compliance EVs.
 
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Reactions: pilotSteve
we are looking at this car for when the Leaf's lease runs out in 2015. ideally we'd go with the X, but need top rack space. we are going back and forth between a smaller Leaf like EV or an SUV. we may have to settle for the mitsu PHSUV on lease till the market matures more.
 
we are looking at this car for when the Leaf's lease runs out in 2015. ideally we'd go with the X, but need top rack space. we are going back and forth between a smaller Leaf like EV or an SUV. we may have to settle for the mitsu PHSUV on lease till the market matures more.
Are you sure this car will be sold in WA ? This sounds like a typical compliance car that will only be sold in CA.
 
  • The all-electric Soul will be a front-wheel drive model, carrying a 27 kWh lithium-ion polymer battery pack.
  • The Soul EV will be "powered by a 109-hp electric motor, producing a generous 210 lb.-ft. of torque".
  • Zero-to-62 mph time is expected to clock in at a ho-hum 12 seconds, give or take.
  • The all-electric Soul tops out around 90 mph.
  • To address concerns about electric cars and hybrids being so quiet as to pose a danger to pedestrians, the "Soul EV will be equipped with a Virtual Engine Sound System (VESS) that emits an audio alert at speeds below 12 mph and whenever the car is in reverse."
  • Recharging the Soul EV's completely depleted battery should take around five hours on a standard 240v outlet. If you have access to a fast-charge 100 kW outlet, that time is reduced to just 25 minutes.
  • Range is expected to be roughly 120 miles.


http://www.thecarconnection.com/news/1088375_kia-soul-electric-car-more-details-emerge

am I the only one reading this thinking, "all this (ho hum), AND ugly as hell!"?
 
Are you sure this car will be sold in WA ? This sounds like a typical compliance car that will only be sold in CA.

Oh, the Soul EV is more than a compliance car, it will/is to be widely sold.
but
its benchmark is the LEAF, just like most compliance cars.

The Soul EVs predecessor was the iMIEV like RAY EV Kia Motors Company
apparently Kia produced around 2,500 of these for fleet use in Korea.

so the Soul EV is actually a big step up from the RAY EV
 
Yeah, seems targeted to take some of the LEAF market. Nissan better up the LEAF battery by at least a few kWh to stay range competitive.

I wish they had gone with something less boxy. The aero CD could likely be better and they probably could have done even better on range, particularly on the highway.