The Kia Soul EV 2015 edition has now made its debut on the Californian market, as of last week. The debut of the new EV from Kia means that the western state’s market is now home to 19 different plug-in/electric vehicles.
http://youtu.be/ZYWHsOeDf3M
The EV has been rated by the EPA at 93 miles of range and 105 MPGe (Miles Per Gallon Equivalent) — putting the “family vehicle” near the top of the market in that regard. As a comparison, amongst larger publically available electric cars, the Soul EV’s 93-mile-range is exceeded only by the Tesla-technology-using Toyota RAV4 EV (103 miles of range), which is a compliance car about to be discontinued; and the two Tesla Model S versions currently on the market (at 208 and 265 miles).
The EV’s notable range is the result of the use of a slightly bigger than industry standard lithium-ion battery pack — 28 kilowatt-hours, rather than the standard of 20-24 kWh.
As far as the MPGe goes, the Soul EV is actually a step above the Model S — owing to its relative lack of mass and speed/performance, as compared to Tesla’s luxury offering.
The Soul EV is, of course, much cheaper than the Model S though, making it a bit of a false comparison. Different markets, different values.
Most EVs with a greater MPGe than the Soul are “minis” — with the notable exceptions being the BMW i3 (124 MPGe), the Chevrolet Spark EV (119 MPGe), and the Nissan LEAF (114 MPGe). The soon-to-be-released Volkswagen e-Golf, reportedly, beats the Soul as well — with a 116 MPGe
The starting price for the Kia Soul EV 2015 edition will be $34,500 — when you then subtract the $7,500 federal income-tax credit for EVs, and the $2,500 tax rebate currently available through the California government (as well as other incentives, like access to carpool lanes), the $24,500 price tag certainly seems competitive.
The reported leasing rates seem quite competitive as well — with a base rate of $249 a month for 36 months, with $1,999 due at lease signing.
For some previous coverage of the Kia Soul EV, see:
2015 Kia Soul EV Gets Ready To Rumble, Fast-Charging Style
“Smitten” Kia Soul EV Has A Sweet Tooth
Image Credit: Kia
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