2018 Soul EV

[mikec]

Here's the latest rumor about the 2018 Soul...

It is finally getting a (slightly) bigger battery, the 30 kwh pack (up from 27 kwh).

Source: http://www.kia-world.net/2018-electric-kia-soul-ev-range-battery/

I guess 200 mile Soul isn't on the radar just yet, but it may be coming in 2019 after a full makeover.

Any thoughts?

 

[JejuSoul]

This rumour is popular. It is also correct.

 

[Synergy3214]

Hmmm, so a 30kWh battery eh? I feel like a 3kWh bump isn't really that great. Nissan did a good bump from 24 -> 30. If the 2018 Soul EV got a bump from 27 to say, 33, that would be a bit more competitive. The three extra 3Kw is only going to give the driver, an extra 10 miles or so? An extra 20 would have been nice

Especially with the Hyundai Ioniq out with it's 124 mile range, which is pretty good especially when you factor in its price.

 

[mtndrew1]

There's a very real possibility that the Soul EV will be dropped after the Niro EV launches.

The Niro EV launch is likely waiting for the capacity bump that the Ioniq (same platform) is getting 18 months after launch.

This looks to me like a shoehorn of some more cells of the existing chemistry into the Soul EV to fill this gap in product launches.

 

[SoulEV2016]

are you sure ... for the battery space ?

and Soul vs Leaf :

 

[mtndrew1]

are you sure ... for the battery space ?

The Niro uses the same platform (and floorpan) as the Ioniq, which has a 31 kWh battery pack (28 kWh usable).

The current Niro/Ioniq package can already hold more battery capacity than the 2015-2017 Soul EV. Even with the existing Ioniq's pack the Niro EV would have more range than the Soul EV.

They're overlapping products in the marketplace and it's plausible that the Soul EV will be eliminated after the Niro EV launch about this time next year.

 

[fanbanlo]

http://www.mykiasoulev.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=787

 

[reggie52]

I think a 4wd version would be really cool.

 

[SoulEV2016]

Why ?
Electric Car is efficiency : mean ... 1 motor, 1 controller.

But you prefer decrease controller system and motor torque.
Good ... the problem is : alloy/steel/cooper for the gear box and motor wiring.

More expensive and heavier for ... the same service 99,8% of time (2WD).
You can not (now) build a car for 0,2% of usage.

In the future, perhaps.
For now, car builder must ... build cell battery. :mrgreen:

 

[Goofcat]

It would seem odd for Kia to end the Soul EV. The Soul is their best selling car. I've seen the new Niro at the dealer, it's not the same as the Soul. It is more of a hatch back then an suv. Storeage space looks less.

 

[SoulEV2016]

I can't park the Niro in my town.
i can park the Soul.

That why i choose this platform for an EV car.

 

[alexank]

Is the battery really going to be bigger?
I thought the Soul already had a 30KW battery with only 27KW useable the rest reserved for something like random cell failures.............
so they could simply enable that extra 3KW in any car via a BMS update couldn't they?

or will the new battery be 33KW with 30KW useable?

 

[rolandvg99]

After what I've learnt from the dealer the gross capacity is about 31.5 kWh with 30 kWh useable. More cells than the previous one.