(LAGUNA BEACH, CA) With the launch of the all-new 2015 Kia Soul EV, Kia Motors has brought forth it’s first entry into the Battery Electric Vehicle market in North America. At the same time it has brought forth what Kia hopes to be the new standard-bearer for its vehicle classification.
Since Nissan launched the Leaf back in 2012, the BEV marketplace has had only a few entrants with a North America wide distribution network. With the Mitsubishi i-MiEV sputtering in sales, the Ford Focus EV finding it’s lack of storage space to be a sales impediment and the Smart Electric for Two gaining minimal traction, there seemed to be nobody out there who would challenge Nissan for EV supremacy at the lower end of the price scale.
SEE 2015 Nissan Leaf Adds New Connectivity Features
Tesla’s Model S has been the buzz EV story of the past couple years, but it’s price point keeps it more in line with luxury cars than commuter cars. The Chevy Volt continues to do well, but sales have been slowing in anticipation of a 2nd generation Volt to be debuted at the Detroit Auto Show in January. Perhaps then, it was the right time for Kia to bring it’s modified version of the popular Soul to market.
At the invite of Kia Canada, I recently joined other journalists from across North America and the world for the global media launch of the Kia Soul EV in Laguna Beach, California. The Soul EV shared the event with the launch of the Kia Sedona and journalists were able to drive each for the first time.
CLICK HERE FOR MY KIA SEDONA FIRST DRIVE REVIEW
Given the idyllic landscape, I decided that my Soul EV First Drive should be documented through the use of video. To that end, I’m happy to present my video First Drive of the Soul EV and my personal assessment as to whether we have a new benchmark amongst BEV’s.
(NOTE: Travel and Accommodation costs to attend this media launch event were provided by the auto maker)
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