CleanTechnica.com: You’ve seen the dancing sexified hamsters, now check out the new fast charging network Kia Motors has in the works for its eagerly anticipated 2015 Kia Soul electric vehicle. The Soul will be the auto company’s first EV offering in the US and it’s tapping into the as-yet untapped market for an affordable commuter EV.
The new charging stations won’t exactly turn your hamster into a ladyfriend who can bust moves while encumbered by a full hamster mask, but they do include a fast charge option that takes your 2015 Kia Soul EV battery from 0 to 80 percent charged in about 33 minutes.
2015 Kia Soul (screenshot) via Kia Motors.
How Much Is The 2015 Kia Soul EV?
In terms of pricing, our friends over at Tesla Motors don’t have to worry about competition from the new hamster in town. Kia hasn’t officially announced prices for the 2015 Kia Soul EV but over at Edmunds they’re thinking in the range of high 20′s to low 30′s before tax incentives. The federal incentive alone is $7,500 so when you add in the saving on gas you’re looking at a pretty good deal, but then again you’re not getting that Tesla magic or, for that matter, its 250+ miles battery range.
What you are getting is a battery range of about 80-100 miles. According to the latest available EPA stats, that’s well within the average comfort zone for passenger vehicles, which comes out around 30 miles daily (11,318 miles yearly).
With the help of the fast-charge option, that also gives you plenty of juice for daytripping.
Dude, Where’s My 2015 Kia Soul EV?
Here’s where it gets nasty for some of you Kia Soul fans out there. The 2015 Kia Soul EV does go on sale this fall as planned, but only in California, Oregon, New York, New Jersey and Maryland. The rest of you guys will have to wait.
In case you’re wondering about the select few, the California angle is a no-brainer because they always get first dibs on all the cool stuff when it comes to zero and low-emission vehicles.
For the EV market, that all trickles up into Oregon, which is already part of the West Coast Electric Highway EV charging network.
The three East Coast states belong to the ZEV Action Plan designed to spur on the EV market in that region, although one of them has been dragging its heels. If you’re guessing New Jersey is that guy you’re right. Last we heard, the state’s governor (yep, that guy) wasn’t too enthusiastic about the plan (surprise!) so stay tuned.
Where were we? Oh right, the fast-charging stations for the 2015 Kia Soul EV. In a press release earlier this morning Kia Motors America reminded eager buyers that it is adding 17 new DC fast chargers to California, on top of the 198 fast chargers already available in the state.
The locations include selected dealerships at both ends of the state, which will get Level 2 240v chargers and ABB’s 50kW Terra 53 CJ DC fast charger, which can charge the Soul EV’s battery from empty to 80 percent in about 33 minutes.
A partnership with Greenlots EZ Charge program lets Soul owners locate charging stations through the Greenlots’ SKY™ network system.
Kia is also eyeballing existing fuel stations and short-term parking for more DC fast chargers.
The new charging stations won’t exactly turn your hamster into a ladyfriend who can bust moves while encumbered by a full hamster mask, but they do include a fast charge option that takes your 2015 Kia Soul EV battery from 0 to 80 percent charged in about 33 minutes.
2015 Kia Soul (screenshot) via Kia Motors.
How Much Is The 2015 Kia Soul EV?
In terms of pricing, our friends over at Tesla Motors don’t have to worry about competition from the new hamster in town. Kia hasn’t officially announced prices for the 2015 Kia Soul EV but over at Edmunds they’re thinking in the range of high 20′s to low 30′s before tax incentives. The federal incentive alone is $7,500 so when you add in the saving on gas you’re looking at a pretty good deal, but then again you’re not getting that Tesla magic or, for that matter, its 250+ miles battery range.
What you are getting is a battery range of about 80-100 miles. According to the latest available EPA stats, that’s well within the average comfort zone for passenger vehicles, which comes out around 30 miles daily (11,318 miles yearly).
With the help of the fast-charge option, that also gives you plenty of juice for daytripping.
Dude, Where’s My 2015 Kia Soul EV?
Here’s where it gets nasty for some of you Kia Soul fans out there. The 2015 Kia Soul EV does go on sale this fall as planned, but only in California, Oregon, New York, New Jersey and Maryland. The rest of you guys will have to wait.
In case you’re wondering about the select few, the California angle is a no-brainer because they always get first dibs on all the cool stuff when it comes to zero and low-emission vehicles.
For the EV market, that all trickles up into Oregon, which is already part of the West Coast Electric Highway EV charging network.
The three East Coast states belong to the ZEV Action Plan designed to spur on the EV market in that region, although one of them has been dragging its heels. If you’re guessing New Jersey is that guy you’re right. Last we heard, the state’s governor (yep, that guy) wasn’t too enthusiastic about the plan (surprise!) so stay tuned.
Where were we? Oh right, the fast-charging stations for the 2015 Kia Soul EV. In a press release earlier this morning Kia Motors America reminded eager buyers that it is adding 17 new DC fast chargers to California, on top of the 198 fast chargers already available in the state.
The locations include selected dealerships at both ends of the state, which will get Level 2 240v chargers and ABB’s 50kW Terra 53 CJ DC fast charger, which can charge the Soul EV’s battery from empty to 80 percent in about 33 minutes.
A partnership with Greenlots EZ Charge program lets Soul owners locate charging stations through the Greenlots’ SKY™ network system.
Kia is also eyeballing existing fuel stations and short-term parking for more DC fast chargers.
