- Kia Ray EV used as part of a car sharing scheme in Seoul
- The Ray is not, and will never be, available in the UK
This car is pioneering the technology that will appear in the Soul EV that’ll arrive in the UK in the winter of 2014.
Hidden in the floor pan is a battery pack that’s coupled to an electric motor situated in the more traditional location under the bonnet.
The Soul EV will have a range of 125 miles, can be fully charged in five hours or topped up in just 25 minutes with a fast charger. Top speed is 90mph and it will hit 60mph in around 14 seconds.
If the Ray EV is anything to go by, the Soul promises a lot.
On clogged streets in South Korea’s capital, we found the brisk, smooth acceleration of the battery powered model a boon. The silent running makes for a relaxing drive and the added weight from the batteries was hard to spot.
We’re impressed with Kia’s first entry into the EV market – and it helps it comes in the funky Ray body shape.
- The Kia Soul EV is likely to have Kia’s top spec too with a clever sat nav system that will point out recharging locations and range, just like our Ray EV test car did.
- Kia did tell us the Soul will come with heated and cooling front and rear seats and a heated steering wheel