Plug-in Soul’s range impresses
Kia returns to the electric car game with a much-improved vehicle
NAMYANG, South Korea Kia’s first mass-produced electric vehicle was the Ray, an odd-looking duck that bears more than a passing resemblance to the Nissan Cube. It was introduced to the Korean market in 2011.
The next step in the electrification of the company’s portfolio is the Soul EV — the early prototype I drove was so new it was still wearing camouflage. Regardless, it is set to tackle the world with an expected Canadian launch date of August 2014.
The differences between the regular Soul and its electric counterpart are very subtle. The latter comes with unique colours (white with a powder-blue roof and accents on the test mules) and the grille is different (the charging point is housed here). That’s about it for its exterior appearance.
Inside, apart from the light grey interior with glossy piano white accents, it’s really only differentiated by its instrumentation. The left dial features a charge/discharge meter along with a “fuel” gauge that indicates the relative state of charge. There’s also a distance-to-empty readout and some additional features built into the navigation system — it gives an outline of the drive in terms of the energy used and overall efficiency.
On the subject of efficiency, the EV uses a heat pump to heat the car, which reduces the draw on the battery when compared to the usual heating element.
Dimensionally, nothing changes. In fact, the only meaningful difference is that the rear-seat riders have less toe room under the front seats because the battery’s cooling system needs the space.
The only other real change is found in the curb weight — the EV is 200 kilograms heavier than its gaspowered sibling, which boils down to the 282-kg battery.
The Soul EV’s powertrain consists of an electric motor with a single-speed transmission, the large 27-kilowatt-hour, lithium-ion polymer battery and the power electronics that oversee the interaction of the two. The electric motor and electronics sit up front where the engine once resided, while the battery is mounted in the middle of the car, beneath the floor. This placement keeps the centre of gravity low, which is good for the handling, and it protects the battery in the event of a crunch. The safety aspect also sees the addition of extra ultra-highstrength steel around the battery.
One of the key improvements in the Soul EV is its battery. Kia says the energy density of the new battery is 30 per cent better than the unit it replaces and it is up to 47 per cent better than its competitors’ power packs.
The good news is this does not change the charge times. Using a 220-volt outlet, it takes five hours to completely recharge the battery. Switch to the regular 110-volt outlet found in Canada and the charging time rises to almost 24 hours — this is normal for all the electric rides and really does make a very strong case for investing in the optional wall-mounted charger. If and when a fast-charging infrastructure comes to fruition, the driver can replenish the battery’s electrons in 25 minutes. Now that’s more like it!
The electric motor puts out 110 horsepower and 210 pound-feet of torque, which means peppy performance. The off-the-line pull is strong and this carries on through the mid-range and on up to highway speeds — the Soul EV whirred along quite happily at 120 kilometres an hour. The peppy nature was underscored by the run from rest to 100 km/h in under 12 seconds.
And so to the driving experience: They say time heals all ills and, in this case, that adage certainly holds true when comparing the Ray to the Soul EV. Where the Ray’s steering was vague and the brake pedal as mushy as an overly ripe tomato, the Soul EV is sharp and it features Kia’s Flex Steer. This allows the driver to choose comfort, normal or sport modes (the latter mode is the only way to go). It’s also blessed with a brake pedal that feels exactly like that of a regular gasoline-powered Soul. While regenerative braking is the first braking mode, the transition from it to the regular hydraulic system is seamless and proved to be very easy to modulate.
There are three driving modes. Eco is for the birds, as it softens the response to the point where the Soul EV feels lacklustre. The Normal mode introduces a much crisper response and a moderate amount of regenerative braking when the accelerator is lifted. The third mode is Brake. It retains the responsiveness of Normal, but amps up the regenerative braking.
During the drive, the thing that impressed me most was the range capability — Kia pegs it at 200 km. Even after a drive route of 110 km, the battery’s distance to empty was still showing 50 km, and this was on a cool day with the heat pump warming the cabin.
The Soul EV was certainly not pampered along the route and it handled several 120 km/h highway stints with the same aplomb it did on the urban part of the drive. All of this indicates the Soul EV will be at the top of the fledgling EV class when it arrives next year.