Kia Soul goes electric with some surprises - Phoenix Business Journal (blog)
The Kia Soul EV made it to south Scottsdale and back home at the northwest skirts of the Valley. But testing such limits isn’t the point of owning an electric car. At an estimated 93 miles, the Kia has better range than most competitors, the more expensive Tesla S being the key exception. Initial sales of Soul EV were limited to California with Oregon, Washington, Hawaii, Texas and Georgia added more recently. Kia Soul EV and other electrics – there are about a dozen on the market now – are meant for drivers who have short commutes or just plan to use it for mini hops to school, grocery shopping and the like. If you are going to push the limits, a plug-in hybrid might be the way to go. The Kia’s economics of fuel cost compare well – an equivalent of about $1 a gallon – even as gas prices plummeted this year. Riding the middle ground, the 2016 Soul EV prices from $32,775, before the $7,500 federal tax credit. Still that’s a steep premium over the all-gas Soul, which starts at $16,015. The EV comes better equipped, though, and feels perkier with added rigidity and a torque-happy, 109-horsepower motor. Soul EV benefits from the standard Soul’s 2014 redesign, but has some unique features of its own. It’s a plus in rush-hour traffic, as you rarely have to use the brake pedal, but you’ll feel a sharp deceleration on the highway. Source: www.bizjournals.com
