Kia’s Gwangju facility in Korea has started volume production of its new all-electric Soul EV for export sales. It is the company’s first electric vehicle to be marketed by the company outside Korea.
The first vehicles off the production line are destined for some European countries, including the UK, and are scheduled to go on sale across the continent during the second half of the year.
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Annual output at Gwangju is initially planned to reach 5,000 units.
“Although it is Kia’s first globally sold, all electric vehicle, the Soul EV is our second-generation battery electric vehicle and benefits significantly from our in-depth experience gained from development of the Ray EV and proven daily operations of [that] fleet in Korea for the past three years,” said executive vice president and CEO Thomas Oh.
The EV has a high capacity, 192 cell, 27kWh, lithium ion polymer battery pack giving a claimed 212km (133 miles) drive range in Europe. Kia said this was because the EV has an industry leading, 200Wh/kg cell energy density and a number of energy saving features such as the new heat pump, smart air intake control system and a new individual ventilation system that ensures maximum driving range without losing energy for heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC). The EV also has regenerative braking to capture and recycle into the battery kinetic energy generated while the car is coasting and braking.
Power comes from an 81.4kW (110ps) electric motor with instantly available 285Nm (29kg/m) of torque, driving the front wheels via a single speed constant ratio gear reduction unit.
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By GlobalDataAcceleration from rest to to 100km/h (62mph) is predicted to take 11.2 seconds, while top speed is in the region of 145km/h (90mph).
The battery pack is mounted beneath the cabin, ensuring a low centre of gravity and contributing to the car’s accomplished ride, handling and refinement.
Charging is accomplished by plugging the Soul EV into any standard household electricity supply. Recharging times are up to five hours for a fully depleted battery using a 6.6 kW AC slow charger. An 80% charge can be achieved in as little as 25 minutes with a 100kW charger (if available) or 33 minutes using a 50kW DC charger.
Kia said the Soul EV has achieved the world automotive industry’s first UL Environment Validation for containing 23.9kg of bio-based plastic and 10% bio-based organic carbon content. Recyclable interior materials include bio plastic, bio foam, bio fabric and bio PET felt together with low volatile organic compounds and newly developed antibacterial materials and paint.
