Kia recently jumpstarted enthusiasm about the 2015 Kia Soul EV with a new commercial featuring horny furry lab hamsters. Now it has gone a bit further (and in a more practical direction) with the unveiling of the 2015 Kia Soul EV price. About a year and a half ago, the estimate was that the price would be ~$35,000. Not a bad estimate at all, wherever it came from, as the base price announced today is $33,700 without any incentives (so, $26,200 after the $7,500 federal tax credit; and $23,700 after that tax credit and the $2,500 California EV rebate).

That’s for the Kia Soul EV Base. The higher Kia Soul EV+ trim is a little more at $35,700 ($28,200 | $25,700).

http://youtu.be/ZYWHsOeDf3M

The Kia Soul EV also has an “expected introductory lease price” of $249/month. That may be the most attractive option to many consumers who would like to drive the Kia Soul EV right now but would also like to wait and see what options they have in a few years without being stuck with a used EV that can’t compete with the new EV competition and thus has a low resale value.

Other key stats are that the 2015 Kia Soul EV has a range of 93 miles on a full charge and has a MPGe rating of 105 (92 on the highway and 120 in the city).

The Soul EV is the first in the industry to receive environmental validation by Underwriters Laboratory (UL), which it has received for its use of bio-based materials.





The Kia Soul is a very popular vehicle, and its style seems to fit that of someone who might want to jump into an electric drive vehicle but hasn’t yet. It’s a good addition to the EV world that adds some more diversity, and at a good price.

Kia has argued that it intends to actually market and sell this vehicle. In other words, it claims that it isn’t a “compliance car.” The price certainly makes it competitive. It is just above the US- and world-leading Nissan LEAF (priced at a low of $28,800 before incentives), but offers quite a different style and its own benefits. We’ll see if Kia actually produces enough for demand and if it brings the car to all corners of the US rather than just a few markets.

Aside from the sweet torque/acceleration, smooth ride, and near silence of an electric motor, the interior goodies of the 2015 Kia Soul EV Base include: “navigation, Rear Camera Display, Bluetooth® hands free operation, power windows, power driver’s seat, cruise control, 6.6kW on-board charger and an exclusive HVAC system designed to extend driving range by minimizing energy draw… [as well as] UVO EV Services, which provide real-time battery-level status, distance to empty, and the ability to search for nearby charging stations.” Of course, as with most EVs, the Soul EV can be controlled a bit with a smartphone app.

What’s extra when you buy the 2015 Kia Soul EV+? “EV-unique leather trimmed seats, which are tri-level heated and ventilated for front passengers, while the rear outboard seats are heated for added comfort,… projection-style fog lamps and power-folding outside mirrors.”

I’m excited to get my hands on one of these to test drive it and compare it to a Nissan LEAF and the (certainly higher quality) BMW i3. Or perhaps Chris will get to do that for us since he’s the one based in the US….

For a look back at the history of the Kia Soul EV, take a stroll through CleanTechnica’s Kia Soul archives.