Korea – The first units of the electric vehicle (EV) rolled off the production line at the OEM’s Gwangju plant, destined for the European countries where they will go on sale in the second half of the year.
Thomas Oh, EVP and COO at Kia Motors, commented: “Although it is Kia’s first globally-sold all-electric vehicle, the Soul EV is our second-generation battery electric vehicle and benefits significantly from our in-depth experience gained from development of the Ray EV and proven daily operations of the Ray EV fleet in Korea for the past three years.”
The Soul EV is now certified for Europe and has achieved UL Environmental Validation for its 23.9kg of bio-based plastic and 10% organic carbon content. The range of recycled interior materials used in the vehicle include: Bio Plastic, Bio Foam, Bio Fabric and Bio PET Felt, plus low volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and newly developed antibacterial materials and paint.
Kia aims to produce 5,000 Soul EVs per year.