Soul EV wins AJAC Green Car Award

First all- electric Kia vehicle beats out seven rivals

The 2015 Kia Soul EV beat out seven other vehicles to lay claim to AJAC’s 2015 Green Car of the Year Award.

The announcement was made Tuesday ( March 24) during the media preview at the Vancouver International Auto Show, marking the first time the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada’s award has been presented on the West Coast.

Given the proliferation of electric vehicles in Metro Vancouver and Monday’s announcement of the reinstatement of the Clean Energy Vehicles for B. C. rebate program by Victoria, it seemed a fitting venue.

“To win this award today validates all the hard work involved in bringing this vehicle to market and making it accessible to all Canadians,” Kia Canada national manager for communications Jack Sulymka said after accepting the award from AJAC’s Kevin Corrigan. “It’s been hugely popular since it first came into the country late last year.”

In fact, the only complaint surrounding the EV has been the difficulty in getting one, and Sulymka said the award should help that cause.

“We’re trying to get as many of these vehicles into Canada as possible.”

The four- passenger Soul EV features a 109- horsepower electric motor and 1,400- plus litres of cargo capacity, making it as practical for urbanites as it is environmentally friendly.

Sulymka said Kia’s first all- electric vehicle brought to market is just the start.

“Stay tuned for some more technologies ( from Kia). Hydrogen. Dedicated plug- in hybrids. There’s a variety of new technologies coming out from us in the near future.”

The Soul’s competition for the award included the Acura RLX Sport Hybrid, the Cadillac ELR, the Honda Fit, the MercedesBenz C300, the smart fortwo EV, the Subaru Legacy and the Toyota Camry Hybrid.

Also announced during the presentation was the establishment of an AJAC Green Utility of the Year Award for 2016, which will include SUVs, CUVs and pickups.