Among the ranks of automakers yet to do much with electric vehicles, particularly here in the United States, resides Kia Motors. That looks to be changing soon though, as the Korean automaker announced recently plans to bring its iconic Soul urban passenger vehicle into the EV space sometime next year.
Kia, at the media launch of the 2014 Soul, dropped word of the addition of an electric variant to this vehicle’s line up. There weren’t really details made public yet on its powertrain, range/MPGe, packaging and go-to-market strategy, however. About all that is known at this point is that it will be released to select markets and that it likely will have at least 85-percent of its materials be able to be recycled at the end of its lifespan, which is similar to the gas-powered model currently available.
image via Kia Motors
“The Soul has always been a terrific choice for drivers in urban environments,” said Orth Hedrick, executive director of product planning,Kia, in a statement, “and the all-new version’s blend of technology, refinement, style, improved dynamics and value has allowed us to create a car that is as efficient as it is fun to drive.”
While the Soul EV will be Kia’s first electric vehicle in the United States, it isn’t its first push into green vehicles. Among other offerings across its global fleet we’ve seen over the years are the Optima Hybrid and Ray EV, the latter of which is available in South Korea only.
