Our 2-month old 2016 died (firmware update needed)

[iletric]

You need new 12-volt battery. That just may be it.

 

[tractioninc]

When I turned on my Soul EV this morning, there was a large 'battery voltage' error displayed on the dash screen. The battery pack had about 85% charge, so I tried to drive the car anyway. I immediately noticed that it would not exceed 30mph/50kph so I turned around, parked the car, plugged it into our L2 charger, then took my wife's car to work. I wish I had thought to take a photo of the error message, but I was late for work and in a hurry.

I hoped that plugging in would charge the 12V battery, but no such luck. My wife called a few hours later in a panic - she said that she had tried to drive the car, but the dash was flickering on and off and the car would not move.

Disconnecting the lead-acid battery and charging it via a standard 12V automotive trickle charger seems to have resolved the issue, but it's still a little irritating that I could have been stranded. And that the low voltage dc-dc converter may not be functioning properly.

 

[kmaluo]

The Ford Focus Electric had a similar issue where the 12V would completely drained when a Level 2 charger was left plugged in for an extended period. A firmware issue eventually fixed it.

 

[tractioninc]

The car was fine today, so charging the 12V battery seems to have done the trick. I'll ask about a firmware update the next time I stop by the dealer.

 

[kmaluo]

I carry a battery/jumper/air-pump combo in the trunk. If the Kia is like my Focus, the High Voltage battery won't engage with a dead 12V. So you actually can jump start your electric car. So strange. Lol