2016 Soul EV+ Battery Replacement - Remanufactured?

[Locuturus]

What the problem with MX-30 EV?

For the amount it costs, you’re getting around the same range as our Soul EVs. Used (at least $ CAD) it may be better if it’s city driving only…

 

[suttercane]

I am going to try to sell my car, as much as it pains me to do so! I am hoping to recover most of the money I spent on it, but I am doubtful. My wife has been soured on BEV's now and is hesitant to buy another after this whole experience. I don't personally want to go back to an ICE car however.

How come there is no 3rd party battery options for our cars?

 

[Locuturus]

Literally the first generation of EVs (really consumer sold) have started to show age, and nobody has really developed battery recycling/remanufacture to a point where it's viable even though it's theoretically possible. You would think that they would have made an easy to connect modular bottom that you could switch out whenever you needed to - but investors need to be convinced that you can make bank on it...

the problem is charging infrastructure and battery quality. Since it's a machine it still needs care and maintenance... the problem is there's enough Leafs out there for workshops to start working on replacing degraded batteries with salvaged or remanufactured packs, but not enough Kia Souls were ever sold to make that market viable. You'd have to be a car repair tech and have the EV repair knowhow, and be able to reliably source batteries, program BMS (or know what to flash on it), and have done the trial and error part already.

If a workshop with an EV tech wasn't an issue, I would try putting in a set of aluminum cooling fins on the batteries, liquid filled and the pipes pushed out the back where the battery fan would be, and a radiator for the fan to push air over so it can be captured by the HVAC to cycle out.

Though there was a guy on Vancouver Island (on reddit) who has a 2015 and got the remanufactured battery, and he tried to build a channel to push cool air into the battery, though he only did it on the rear foot vents. Would be better if it were both front and back vents together so all the cool air is channeled in.

 

[JejuSoul]

...
Though there was a guy on Vancouver Island (on reddit) who has a 2015 and got the remanufactured battery, and he tried to build a channel to push cool air into the battery, though he only did it on the rear foot vents. Would be better if it were both front and back vents together so all the cool air is channeled in.

The two air inlets are under the front seats.
Here's how it looks when the battery is removed.



Image is from a Korean 2015 Soul EV.
Scrapped because it missed the warranty replacement due to 180,000km.
The SOH was 30%.
The video has English subs.

 

[suttercane]

That's a cool video. Crazy the size of the battery relative to it's capacity. He said it's twice as heavy as the EV6 battery which gets ~350km range!

Seems I have learned my lesson the hard way with this car. I am preparing to sell it right now and hoping to come close to breaking even.

 

[Locuturus]

well, randomly I started to get the Check EV System light come on randomly, with no observable changes in battery temps, voltages, 12v battery, engine + obc coolant temps, and anything else I can observe that was different; drove it to my local Kia to have them look at it (and actually confirm the light is on), and they'll take it for a few days to observe it Thursday. Extended warranty ends mid-late July...

I'm probably just going to start looking for a 2020-2022 Niro or something... guess I'll have to kiss that moonroof goodbye

 

[suttercane]

That sucks! At least you still have some warranty left, maybe they can get it taken care of before it ends. I am looking at other vehicles now, there are some good deals on Kona's from that year range as well. I am just really hesitant after this whole experience and don't want to have to deal with this again with the batteries/warranties blah blah blah.

I may just get an ICE car....

 

[Locuturus]

I think particularly it was mostly the early Souls cos they were rushing to production and sourced a bunch of kinda shitty chemistry batteries, and chose to go air cooled (better than Nissan I guess? No cooled or heated). I’m looking at 2020 niro ev myself lol, just want the bigger range and storage space.

If you want a nicer car, mini is coming out with the countryman as an EV. Looks very cool.

 

[Locuturus]

Well, car is in the service bay at Kia South Vancouver - we'll see what happens now, I talked to the tech and between the two techs they'll test the car by driving it all over the place to somehow trigger the stupid Check EV System light. So we'll see what the problem is this time.

I have until July 27... until the warranty expires.

 

[Henry De La Garza]

Not sure if anyone else referenced a website called 'Car Complaints' before purchasing your Kia Soul EV, but it never mentioned any of the current issues noted on this Forum..

https://m.carcomplaints.com/Kia/Soul_EV/

 

[JejuSoul]

Not sure if anyone else referenced a website called 'Car Complaints' before purchasing your Kia Soul EV, but it never mentioned any of the current issues noted on this Forum..

https://m.carcomplaints.com/Kia/Soul_EV/

Thanks for that comment.
There's not much there about the Soul EV. Just a funny story from a guy who didn't know you unlock the cable by unlocking the doors. And forgive me for being cynical, a story from a guy whose wife had driven into a tree. She claimed brake failure. Kia ,also being cynical, didn't bother to check the brakes afterwards.

But I did see this :- Owners of 2022 Kia Niro EV SUVs Warned Not to Charge Inside Structures
"Kia Niro EV recall letters are expected to be mailed July 19, 2024, and for now dealers will replace the safety plugs."