KIA SOUL EV All-Electric Vehicle: Thinking About Making the Switch

Lately I have been intrigued by all-electric cars. As you may know I have a hybrid, and I love that I am saving money on fuel (we fill up at regular gas stations every other week). It took us a long time to convert but now it is our preferred vehicle to run errands around town. Now the question is – what about all-electric? I have lots of questions. How often do I need to charge the battery and will I be able to take it out of town? My sister who owns an all-electric said that is a lifestyle change, but they save a ton of money on cost of fuel and she drives it to Los Angeles for work from Orange County. She has access to the carpool lanes, and it saves her time from not sitting in hours of traffic. If you own an all-electric vehicle, was it hard making the switch? Let me know your experience and if you have any tips.

My Test Drive

At the annual Alt Car Expo for National Drive Electric Car Week, I test drove the KIA Soul EV. We took it around the block and it surprised me how smooth the ride was. I couldn’t tell I was driving an all-electric. (I for sure thought I was going to feel loss of power but nope, it wasn’t the case here). Here are some features to note:

• Need a charge and want to know where the nearest charging station is? No problem. The head unit will display locations within 30 miles. Just select it the navigation window and it will give you directions.

• Where can you charge? You can charge at home or at work with a regular outlet or there are special charging stations everywhere including KIA dealerships. (There are more than 150 DC fast chargers in Southern California!)

• Driver Only. The Soul EV is the first vehicle ever manufactured to feature a true “driver-only” ventilation system which help saves even more on energy. Just press that “driver-only” button on the dash and it turns off the passenger dashboard and foot ventilation.

• Free Roadside Assistance for first 5 years. There is no spare tire in the vehicle because of the weight of the tire and they want to save more energy so they will provide free roadside assistance for five years.

• Great for daily use. On average, one charge will reach about 93 highway miles with the Soul EV. (80% of Soul EV owners drive 20-60 miles).

• Tax Credit. It qualifies for a federal tax credit up to $7,500 depending on the state you live in!