Kia has entered a new realm with the 2015 Kia Soul EV, one of all electric vehicles, great for the environment Washingtonians love.
Starting at $35,700, or $36,625 fully optioned, however, there’s also the $7,500 federal tax credit for buying electric vehicles, making final prices between $26,200 to $29,125.
For that price, you don’t just get an eco-friendly EV, but a vehicle that has 19 interior parts made of bio-based materials. The headliner, trim, carpet, internal plastics and more are made by environmentally sound materials.
I drove the Kia Soul EV +, the fully optioned model, and was impressed with the quality of the interior and the bio-based plastics didn’t feel cheap at all.
The leather seats were heated in the rump and the back area, meaning you get a full body warmth, or cooled in the summer, for the entirety of the trip.
With 90 miles of charge, the Kia Soul EV can electrify your drive of the Puget Sound’s metro areas, from Everett to Tacoma, with a little extra to spare, though you’ll need a charge to head home.
Luckily, there are plenty of chargers in the Seattle-Tacoma metro area. Take your pick and become a member; check out other EV advice from sister outlet, AON Media, here.
And with a charging port placed conveniently at the front, you won’t have to worry about whether your desperately in need of juice vehicle will be close enough for the charging cord on those public chargers. Using a DC Quick Charger will charge to 80-percent of the battery in around half an hour, so you’ll be on the road again in a breeze.
The infotainment system in the Soul + comes with a backup camera, safer for your neighborhood and all the inhabitants; pedestrian, bicyclist, or four-legged friend.
The back seats are pretty spacious, with plenty of legroom for three backseat passengers, with a total capacity for five people. The backseat may even have room for that tall friend, both in legroom and headroom.
The trunk has plenty of room, and comes with a cargo cover so that no one can see what you’re carrying. There’s even stow away areas in the trunk.
The car is also fun and zippy, too. The electric motor gives the Soul EV instant acceleration, but the batteries in the bottom keep it nice and flat around corners.
Even on the bumpiest of Seattle roads, the Soul EV is smooth and comfortable.
As I see it there’s only one problem with the 2015 Kia Soul EV and that’s the road trip you have to take to get one.
Currently, the Kia Soul EV is only sold in California, but if they’re letting us auto reporters have them, I’m betting it’ll be coming up here soon enough.
Or you could order one from a local dealer and have it shipped. Take my advice and get the Caribbean Blue color seen here, it’s snazzy and catches the light very nicely.