When it comes to EV sales, the biggest party-poopers may not be shadowy oil industry conspirators, but auto dealers, who often lack information about their manufacturers’ electric models, and sometimes actively discourage buyers from considering them. Kia of Vancouver provided a blatant example of this recently, when a sales manager replied to a potential customer’s… Read more »
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March plug-in sales: Tesla grabs lead, Fiat surprises, Kia and Cadillac disappoint
There are several interesting developments to report on the EV sales front this month – an overall increase, a lead change, and a sales surge in the most unexpected of quarters. Total plug-in sales for the month were 10,341, a healthy recovery from February’s slump, and a 7% increase over the March 2014 numbers. Interestingly,… Read more »
2015 Kia Soul EV: A strong contender in the growing EV market
Charged faithfully reports on every new plug-in vehicle that comes out, and while there are reasons to be excited about pretty much all of them, there’s always a question lingering in the background: Does this manufacturer plan to actively market its new EV, or is this just another compliance car, to be produced in limited… Read more »
Kia accelerates its roll-out plan for the Soul EV
The new Kia Soul EV went on sale in October in California, with plans to expand to Oregon and a few East Coast markets later. Stronger-than-expected customer interest soon inspired the company to accelerate its roll-out plan. However, in the complex world of automobile manufacturing, production can’t be dialed up and down at will. “The issue… Read more »
Why did Kia decide to use CHAdeMO DC Fast Charging on the new Kia Soul EV?
DC Fast Charging is increasingly seen as a “must have” feature for an EV. Japanese automakers are committed to the CHAdeMO standard, while their US and European colleagues are equally locked into the competing CCS standard. However, as a Korean company, Kia was free to choose whichever system it thought best for its new Soul… Read more »
PHEV versions of Hyundai Sonata and Kia Optima coming next year
Hyundai Motor Group plans to produce plug-in hybrid versions of the Hyundai Sonata, pictured above, and next-generation Kia K5 (known as the Optima, pictured below, in the US). RELATED: Kia announces pricing for Soul EV “We will roll out a plug-in hybrid model of Sonata and K5 next year,” said R&D Vice Chairman Yang Woong-Chul. “Since we… Read more »
Kia announces pricing for Soul EV
Kia Motors America (KMA) has announced pricing for the Kia Soul EV, which will go on sale this fall in California, Oregon, New York, New Jersey and Maryland. The new EV will be offered in two trims: MSRP for the Base model is $33,700; the Plus model, which adds leather-trimmed heated and ventilated seats, fog… Read more »
ABB and Greenlots partner with Kia to deploy DC fast chargers for Soul EV Rollout
San Francisco-based Greenlots will partner with Kia Motors and ABB to install DC fast chargers at selected Kia dealerships for the 2015 Kia Soul EV, which is scheduled to go on sale this fall in California, Oregon, New York, New Jersey and Maryland. Kia will roll out Greenlots’ SKY Smart Charging platform to its dealerships… Read more »
Kia Soul EV to use new SK Innovation battery cells
Kia’s new Soul EV will use lithium-ion polymer battery cells supplied by SK Innovation, the result of a three-year joint development program between the two companies. The SK pack has 192 cells in eight modules, for a total capacity of 27 kWh. It boasts an impressive energy density of 200 Wh/kg, and is expected to… Read more »
Kia unveils new Soul EV, to go on sale this year
Kia unveiled its 2015 Soul EV at this week’s Chicago Auto Show. Scheduled to go on sale in the third quarter of 2014, the compact hatchback will be Kia’s first EV sold in the US, initially in just a few states, including California, Oregon, New York, New Jersey and Maryland. Pricing will be announced closer… Read more »