I have said this over and over. The Soul, with its massive flat roof would simply be great for a recharging solar panel. I know that a single panel is not a "quick charge" solution but at least is a start. As a work commuter, I drive less than 20 km to work. A recharge while working only makes sense. My car packs in the sun so why not recharge. I am impressed with the German 'Sono'. Why not apply this technology to other vehicles?
Would work well as a trickle power source for AC or heating in the cold markets. So no putting the heater or AC on full when you come back to the car. The original Leaf had a pv option on the rear rooftop spoiler
But would the KW/h produced by the solar roof compensate for the additional weight from its addition? Because, AFAIK, that‘s the reason most manufacturers don‘t put solar panels onto their car‘s roofs.
@@ExBenzi2 Oh heavens no. Solar energy accumulation panels or material has gotten so thin, so light weight. What about the 4 spinning wheels? Generator's perhaps? What about small turbines that can spin while driving? Who knows. There are power producing pads that work when vibration is sensed. I believe they are used for light rail train systems.
How much would have cost to add soft rear panels ? $10 ? There are corners to be cut, but not all of them We had several costly problems with a Hyundai Sonata (a single rear radar was over $800), I wonder if the Soul is going to be more problem free than a Kona ?
If they truly are delivering a 300 mile range for roughly $32K, it would appear that KIA has cracked the code. *Affordability + great warranty + great range = best value in the industry!*
Great video! Small correction: the eNiro doesn’t have a head-up display. You certainly meant the Hyundai Kona, which does have one (and which is similar in size).
*See that Kia in their online Brochure have described it as "FULLY CHARGED WITH FUN DESIGN DETAILS" **_Wow you have big impact Jonny with your Fully Charged Videos !_*
I think there's a typo about the length of the car (at 3:14): I'm pretty sure it's more than 1.6m in length (or it's shrunk quite a bit from the previous model) 😉
The Soul is extremely popular in America as a small car with lots of cargo capacity. Every single model year, I see them around Washington, DC weeks after the new ones come out.
I'm yet to see the sense in putting the charge points in main crash areas. Maybe the time will come when an extra emergency port will be put under the back seat or something.
It makes charging much easier. I have seen people navigating their e-golf to access charging spots. I do not care if a charging point is damaged in an accident. That's what a car insurance is for.
I think some do it because the charger at charge stations is nearly always right infront as you park, like on normal cars the fuel cap is always at the side of the car as you have to park at the side of a fuel pump Saying that the i3 has it on the side
Another great video and, at last, another person other than me wearing a Faraday Past tee shirt. Maybe Mark can use some of their classic tracks as incidental music in future videos?
I never really thought about it, but an EV that uses lots of plastics is basically using oil for that, the very thing it wants to get rid of. Our plastics dependency is very worrying, we really need to find an economically and ecologically viable alternative.
I don’t think anyone really expects EV’s to eliminate all uses of oil. They exist to stop us setting it on fire to get the kids to school or to get to the supermarket.
Freeze frame @1:09. Based on looks, which car would you rather get, the blue Soul or the red Stinger behind it ? I preferred the latter. I just wish they would make an EV Stinger.
So cool that this is a car review, rather than an EV review. I own a Tesla Model 3, but have great respect for how Hyundai has embraced electrification -- all the reviews are pretty strong.
Like a lot of cars that were derived from gas or diesel cars, they waste the front 'engine' bay as storage space. Ground up EV designs, like Tesla or Rivian, package the mechanicals, which are much more compact in e-vehicles than ICE vehicles, so as to use that space better.
But monocoque is the future. In the moment the cars start to become moncoque and aerodynamic, probably also light, the EV will have come to the point he needs to be.
The Nissan leaf is still a only EV version chassis but has a common engine hood. I am not sure if it is an advantage to move the charger and drivetrain somwhere only to win a small box in the front. . BMW has the motor in the back an not really a usable booth if you don't flip the backseats.
@@matneu27 BMW makes around 400 horsepower and has a ermgency engine as generator on board. Making it unpractical by design. Also, strong rumors are spreading that Lexus is going to introduce an EV with 4 electric engines located in the wheel wells, completely nullifying whatever intital non-problems there was in the first place. If it's true, this would be another breakthrough.
Makes you wonder why the Kona ( premium se ) is approx £4k dearer than the Soul ( first edition ) with the same battery size. The specs from what I can see are about the same, the Kona does have the ventilated seats but that's about it. Am I missing something ?
i`ve got a question... what about reviewing a eletric car that has been more then 5 years on the road and test they`re charging capabilities and baterie duration
Question to Kia (and others) - How are you going to get the charging leads out (5:40) with 1,339 litres (5:57) of stuff in the boot? - why did they not put a cover of the motor (10:39) to hold the cables which would also be close to the charge socket. Just like other EV manufacturers a simple design change would make living with them easier. - If I have another £32,300 I would buy one anyway.
Great test drive of the Soul EV. Jonny is informative, and humorously entertaining. Question: As the battery technology improves for the Kia EV's, will I be able to swap out the old battery for the newer one? Thanks.
IMHO the Soul EV is one of the coolest electric vehicles out there. Granted, it‘s design is controversial, but I for my part, like it a lot. It looks quite a bit like a japanese ‚Kei-Car‘ and it is practical (and roomy) as hell. Kia and Hyundai are doing a great job on EVs. Props to them!
When you sit in the Soul you understand why people like it: height, view, seat comfort, heads up display, controls locations. Love it. Want it. Sadly, won't.
Had a Kona when delivering the Nissan Leaf at a repair shop while on vacation. Choosed the Kona since it looked larger. Well, there was almost no legspace in the backseat and we had to repack the luggage to make it fit, but because of a LOT of space wasted in the luggage compartment we had to leave lot of stuff in the Leaf
The e Niro is by far the best of the Hyundai/Kia bunch. Same drive train but a decent size. The LEAF is a traditional hatchback, with a best in class boot, it's massive. I would expect the Kona and Soul to be far less practical than the LEAF.
I have the 2018 Kia Soul EV. I love it. BUT one of the selling points was being able to use the App. It doesn’t work in the UK. Will it work on the new Soul EV in the UK?
Excellent report. However, I live in southern Florida, USA and I would not appreciate a glass roof due to the heat from the sun so I hope it will be an option not the default. This report makes the Kia EV my top pick for a new car. Thanks.
I think the Kia Soul EV will sell in truck loads. As long as they make enough of them, fast enough. And it's time to review the new MG ZS EV. James, from the James and Kate channel, got his hands on one in the UK spec and was knocked out by the overall package for the price. Nice video, as always.
The outside looks fine, the inside is Fisher Price unfortunately. A bit the opposite of the i3, where the outside is not to everyone's taste (I like it), and the interior is wonderful. By the way, the E-Soul sounds more quiet than the Kona, is this true?
This is the kind of car that your grandma accidentally buys you for Christmas because she thought it was a Tesla 3, and the sales person reassured her it could be exchanged if it wasn't the one her grandchild wanted.
I'd rather buy this any other car right now, except for the Tesla cars ofc. But then again, I don't have the money nor do these cars sell in my country.
Brilliant video. Sums up the soulEV perfectly. I have the 2018 version and based on this review i will be looking at getting the 2020 version when it comes to renewing. I've had mine a year and not had one single problem. In fact it still gives me that novelty factor when i drive it. Best feature is that beats any car from a standing start. love it!
For a "controversial" car, the Soul sure is popular in middle America. We have a thing we do in our family where we count how many we see when we're out on an errand, because they're so distinctive you can't miss them. Current record is 28 in one afternoon. We can definitely use more EVs that are just regular cars, and it doesn't get much more regular than a Soul these days.
Hi all at fully charged as usual great work, thought I would just mention I’ve found a manufacturer dealer that are helpful about electric cars, as a result I’ve finally left a deposit on one, I have struggled with the 30k price tag of most working class EVs but MG have come up trumps with the MG ZS EV is this car a game changer bringing a family small SUV to the market at a more realistic price ?
My mom drives a 2016 Kia Soul, which I've always been keen about. It's a wonderful vehicle, save the quite sensitive brakes (for me, that is). Souls are quite plentiful where she lives in Central Florida. It's an area specific for retirees and seniors really appreciate the ease of entry/egress. The Honda Odyssey is about as plentiful in her area for the very same reason.
If you can manage to fit this into your busy schedule. Please would to do some coverage on the new MG ZS EV please? Price is interesting for the size. Thanks in advance
You didn’t talk about the feel of the brakes -are they notchy, fidgety, etc- nor the regenerative feel / braking, or the suspension feel, does it tow a trailer, servicing costs, spare wheel - strewth, I’ll have to look elsewhere for my information.
Looks like a huge blind angle at the back? Also even though it makes sense to buy the one with the large battery pack, I suppose that like the Kona, in mid 2019 there’s a year and a half waiting list by now.
I drive a Citroen C3 Picasso(I'm on my second one) for its superb flexible, bulky load carrying capability along with good roomy passenger space, lots of glass, high driving position, etc. etc. Perfect!! This - so far, seems to be the ONLY EV which comes even close to offering something like the same level of usability in this respect. Looks good. Albeit at TWICE the price of the C3 replacement - C3 Aircross. Also, as usual, unavailable. I buy 2/3 year old pre-loved. So, how long is it going to be before there's a good supply of affordable used Souls on the market? Probably at least five years +, by which time new ones will be freely available to supply the used market(we can only hope) Maybe by then there will be a simple, comprehensive, reliable, standardised public charging network out there.??! Don't hold your breath.......
Great viideo. .Have driven the E SOUL For 2 and a half years love it.Best car ever till i seen the up grade the range inrease will mean i dont need to rent a car for our holidays.thanks Gez.
I own the 2016 Kia Soul EV , I live in Austin,TX and let me tell you. People who own these cars love them for a reason! I’m faster then most cars on the road , I make money doing Uber and charging for free, I do deliveries for a furniture store and make money on deliveries , all in an electric car. I have driven to Dallas and San Antonio! And can’t wait to upgrade to the 2020 soon or the 2019 one day Come visit me and I will show you what an electric car can do!
Great video. I'd love if you could start adding the backseat width. We're looking for a family car that'll fit all our carseats, so it'd be great to have some of those details when describing the vehicles. Keep up the good work :)
I drove the 64 Kwh e-soul last week, very impressed, the lane keep assist is really good. I drove almost 200 Kms. I found it a lot nicer than the Kona and noticed less wheel spin and much less road noise than the Kona. 75 Kw max charging on a 100+ Kw charger, not bad. I noticed max 144 Kw Regen, that was impressive and shows what the battery could be capable of if only CCS 1 could deliver more current.
Two errors in the video that I noticed. One, the batteries are made by SK Innovation, not LG Chem. Two, it's not called the e-Soul everywhere outside the UK, it's also called the Soul EV in Canada.
I have an idea for an episode, all the hosts pick there favourite car and complete a driving related challenge for example, who can charge the least number of times driving from Spain to Manchester. I would like to see how far Evs can be pushed in real life conditions and challenges would create an opportunity for you to demonstrate this and produce great programs.
First of all let me say that Jonny always does an excellent car-review, and Fully Charged is a wonderful Channel. I may not always appreciate what's on offer because I'm such a ghastly oik, but I thoroughly enjoy ALL of the videos. Yes. I'm subscribed. Oh, and YAY, Robert, too. ♥ I still prefer the old intro, by the way. [No, I WOULDN'T LET IT LIE, as Vic and the other Bob would have said.] Enough of me trying to be nice. I'm essentially a very, very bad girl, so here's what I think of this car. I'm going to be a mite contrary. I love the tech, but I hate the tech. Meaning... the fact that it's an EV with a battery pack, some wheels, and ooh, all sorts of essential EV things, is good. What INFURIATES me (grrr, Elli smash) is that there's so much nonsense crammed in to justify the hilarious price. "Ah, but it's necessary, madam - it's added value, d'you see? People expect their little luxuries, ha ha ha, so they feel they're buying a premium product but at an affordable price... Now, take the Tesl- " STOP RIGHT THERE. Stop it or you'll get a slap. I don't use the 'T' word. Air conditioning? Electric windows? No, mate. I lived in Kenya for a while in the 1970s. Slap, bang on the Equator. Oh, the heat! The flies! And the drums! Carstairs, do something about those demmmed, demmmed DRUMS! I can't... stand... Aaargh! Sorry. Bit of a flashback, there. Anyhoo: leave your (white) Peugeot 404 in the midday sun for 20 minutes and the measured - not guessed - interior temperature would often hit 59°C (138°F). Cars didn't have air-con or region-specific climate control or refrigerated bloomin' seats; they had hand-cranked windows, a newspaper to cover the windscreen, and another one to sit on. Open the doors, stand well back, count to ten, cover the seat, get in, go. Perfectly adequate. Nobody complained. And as for all of the KIA's 'essential' smart systems and cameras and safety features and driving aids and screens and displays and sensors and the ability to control it from your mobile phone... Well, pardon my French, but that just makes me bl**dy angry. Expensive toys. Please, someone - make a cheap EV. I'll provide the newspapers. I always found the Standard provided better coverage than the Nation or Taifa Leo. (But then I've always had a pretty huge bum...)
Elli P underrated comment. Also think the EV market is skewed towards the gadgety end of the market. I guess there aren’t many charging stations in the wilds of Kenya. Swappable batteries also should be explored more.
Why do all (or most) EV's have a 12V lead acid battery? In combustion engine cars, that 12V battery was for your starter motor and was charged by your alternator, but there's no starter motor in an EV, so why the huge battery pack out of Lithium Ion and a heavy 12V lead acid battery in an electric car?
Steve Davey the 12 volt batteries run all the electronics and accessories. U don’t want those things ran off the drive battery so u can save as much as possible for range.
Good to hear that Kia have decreased the cobalt in the battery. Fossil heads always bang on about cobalt and the miners in poor countries. Have they seen Nigeria and other places that have oil development destroying locals lives? Budah of Birmingham
main reason Kia wants to reduce their dependency on Cobalt is that Cobalt mining is pretty much a Chinese monopoly, they control more than 90% of the world's Cobalt supply and only release it onto the market in a trickle to keep it that way and keep prices up.
I like the way it changes colour, too, from blue, to lime green, to white! Is that on a switch too? If it's auto-random, it could cause confusion in a car-park :-P
great Video as "usual" . I like to ask if you can command on sitting position in future videos. to me one of the main points in reviewing cars. thank you for your work and also doing these revs different.
Not sure about other EVs but Tesla just gets you to wherever you need to be while ice cars leave you stranded. Just watch Tesla videos driving in extreme cold temperatures and snow.
Is there a list of colors you can get the electric version in? (US) I've only been able to find the list for all the ICE versions. Really hoping I can get that dark green color on this.
Home charging times need to be much faster to make EVs truly mainstream. I would love one as a taxi, but I have a driver on the shift I don’t work. He does 100 miles and I do around 80 per day. It has 6 hours non use to charge at home. Not enough hours in the day at a charge rate of 15 miles per hour to make this viable.
I am happy to see the great work in progress toward an EV future, but I wonder what consumers will do when the glut of available gas ends up lowering the price down towards $ 1 + per gallon?
what do you think iF gas was 1.49 $ a liter like in Canada october 2021 , 3.78 liter for a us gallon do the math) i changed for a ev Soul , it cost me about 50 cents cdn to run near 400 km(248 miles)
I agree with your general point, but having looked up the Verde Vertical I would not suggest this example for two reasons: firstly it is not a consumer technology or in any way related to consumer choice like cars, home appliances, public transport options etc. (this is what Fully Charged are mainly interested in); secondly it is arguably irrelevant to the uptake of low carbon technology, as it is being provided to mop up the air pollution of ICEs. To say it again though I do agree with your general point...
Tbf, the FC channel does look at interesting ways to provide low-carbon, carbon neutral and carbon negative power and products. It is not just an EV channel, by any means. They've looked at heat pumps in Scotland, ultracapacitors in Estonia, different types of batteries over the world, different methods of power generation, etc... Nothing that is a genuine step forward is off-limits. If they haven't covered it, it's because they haven't covered it... yet.
The Kia soul is on trial here in Guayaquil Ecuador to possible be adopted as a taxi. If it works out this will be the new taxi that will be required when the ICE cars are retired from service. With just over 2000 taxis in service here this is a big chance for KIA. Looks like a nice car, for me I would like to see a vehicle that can accommodate people with disabilities, and a no lip tailgate.
I'd agree but it comes down to supply and demand. At the moment electric cars from South Korea are in short supply and high demand so Kia can name their own price and still sell all they can produce. Cell costs have dropped 85% since 2010 and will continue to get cheaper, couple that with the expanding number of EV manufacturers (particularly from China) and we will hopefully see a 30% drop in purchase price in 5 years (wild guess).
Nice review, but why not inform us on booth volume and loading capacity?, which, seen the profile of the car, could distinguish it from it's brothers. Also a pity that there is no frunk, the space must be there, with the engine mounted that low...
KOKAM lithium polymer pouch cells were out early 2000s they were making cells that were powerful and good back then. I was using them for model aircraft.
Johnny good review. I have the 2017 Soul EV +. Love the light gray leather interior. In our super hot part of the world gray stays cooler. Also gray does not show dust, etc. I cannot figure why almost all cars have black interiors. It has been a deal breaker for me; I have passed on cars I really liked since all they offered was black. I was thinking of the Nero EV and the Soul EV but I don't want black. Will wait and see what is offered in our area of the world when Soul is available. Your are correct the Nero EV has black and black/gray interrior. Saw one in town and the black interior was a turn off for me. Need to have one of the interior designers drive a car for a summer in 100+ degree days and see how well it works. Not all of the world is in Korea or Europe where black is not an issue. Again great work. Always look forward to a Fully Charged episode.
I don't mind the look of black, but the black dashboard is a terrible idea when the sun heats up the huge dashboards of modern cars. I live in Korea, and it's too hot in the summer. My car must be parked in the shade, or the air conditioner just can not counteract the amazing oven-like waves of heat coming from the dashboard. A grey dashboard would be a huge improvement I think.
I also have a 2012 Mitsuibishi iMiev. The dash is so large and being black the airconditioner could not cool the car. I had a custom light gray dash cover made. Helped a lot. I guess in the summer it gets hot enough there that you can appreciate a lighter cooler. The Soul EV is not bad with the light gray interior. Once we get started it cools down nicely. Henry Ford said "You can have any color you want as long it is black.". I believe that was during the heyday of the Ford Model T. GM got the jump on Ford; they offered colors for their cars when Ford would not. The one thing that impressed me about the Fiat 500 was all the colors you could pick for the interior. The car was too small but had nifty interiors.
Distraction versus help... while I appreciate the help most of the time, my Honda Hybrid has, several times, slammed on the brakes when I was in no danger of a collision (a car in front of me slowing and turning right). One evening, the car behind me had to brake very hard to avoid rear-ending me. It wasn't good.
Sometimes I think the front trunk is pointless, but here, since the charging port is in the front and there is clearly space, they should have done the storage for cables and such in the front.
***CORRECTION: The Kia Soul EV 2019 is actually 4195 mm long (~165 inches), not 1605 mm as quoted on graphics!***
"they've sold over 1.6 million souls" sorry but that just sounds terrifying!!
That's a hilarious comment!
They must be REALLY good at the guitar by now.
haha i thought the same when i heard it xD
most of them probably went to gingers
(bad joke i know)
The Devil wants your Soul. "Get out of the car, now!"
i love this channel. you guys are so enthusiastic. your general excitement for EVs makes it so fun to watch.
@@barriewilliams4526 i'm lucky i live in Norway, so EVs are everywhere pluss a lot of charging stations, and EVs are pretty cheap :D
First the E Soul, can’t wait for the racing version with a more powerful electric motor - the “R Soul” haha
Roo Or the one you have to assemble yourself, the I KIA.
Popular with pirates?
The Soul-R (Solar)
The R-Soul to fit on the Sporty Ford Ka: The Ka Si ? Sorry, bit of a shitty comment! :-).
I was reading that, so I was a little slow on the uptake, but, yeah, that's worth a grin.
The Fully Charged videos are the most informative I've seen so far with a positive way of rating and looking at one of my favorites, Kia Soul EV.
I have said this over and over. The Soul, with its massive flat roof would simply be great for a recharging solar panel. I know that a single panel is not a "quick charge" solution but at least is a start. As a work commuter, I drive less than 20 km to work. A recharge while working only makes sense. My car packs in the sun so why not recharge.
I am impressed with the German 'Sono'. Why not apply this technology to other vehicles?
Would work well as a trickle power source for AC or heating in the cold markets. So no putting the heater or AC on full when you come back to the car. The original Leaf had a pv option on the rear rooftop spoiler
Very good idea indeed!
But would the KW/h produced by the solar roof compensate for the additional weight from its addition?
Because, AFAIK, that‘s the reason most manufacturers don‘t put solar panels onto their car‘s roofs.
@@ExBenzi2 Oh heavens no. Solar energy accumulation panels or material has gotten so thin, so light weight. What about the 4 spinning wheels? Generator's perhaps? What about small turbines that can spin while driving? Who knows. There are power producing pads that work when vibration is sensed. I believe they are used for light rail train systems.
That with the option of battery preheating for cold weather.
Jonny Smith is just so good at reviewing cars, incredible passion and personality that really shines through
Way better than the new guy they hired recently, he makes me not want to watch
He IS the Carpervert.
Another great video from Johnny! Great work fully charged! 👍👍👍👍
Agreed. I think he's getting better and better.
We’re starting to see a lot of the new Soul (gas version) in the US. I love the styling, so much better than the last model.
"It's all just plastic, it doesn't mean anything." Beautifully articulated, poetic review of an interesting new EV. Bravo!
Well, it is boring car. By defination.
He's talking about the SUV package which is nothing but meaningless plastic.
@@MiesvanderLippe At least if it was cheap and easily replaceable plastic it could have some utility function.
William Fry when are you starting your own ev review channel? I'll make sure I don't watch it.
@@MiesvanderLippe Yeah, I just thought it was fun Johnny-ism. Who knew shade would come my way... oh, right, it's the internet.
man you guys are just the best channel for anything EV related or new technologie
How much would have cost to add soft rear panels ? $10 ? There are corners to be cut, but not all of them
We had several costly problems with a Hyundai Sonata (a single rear radar was over $800), I wonder if the Soul is going to be more problem free than a Kona ?
If they truly are delivering a 300 mile range for roughly $32K, it would appear that KIA has cracked the code. *Affordability + great warranty + great range = best value in the industry!*
I have one here in Sweden, i drive 420km-460km if i stick to the speed limits thats are from 30km/h to 100km/h
Always liked these, much more interesting shape than the usual euro box
Great video! Small correction: the eNiro doesn’t have a head-up display. You certainly meant the Hyundai Kona, which does have one (and which is similar in size).
*See that Kia in their online Brochure have described it as "FULLY CHARGED WITH FUN DESIGN DETAILS" **_Wow you have big impact Jonny with your Fully Charged Videos !_*
I think there's a typo about the length of the car (at 3:14): I'm pretty sure it's more than 1.6m in length (or it's shrunk quite a bit from the previous model) 😉
was wondering about that as well...🤔
Yea i doubt it's wider than it is long. xD
Special Tadis edition
hard to be 1 whole metre shorter than its wheelbase.
It expands when charged...
The Soul is extremely popular in America as a small car with lots of cargo capacity. Every single model year, I see them around Washington, DC weeks after the new ones come out.
hard changes in my life right now, meanwhile this show gives me a sense of normalcy and puts a smile on my face. I'm so glad you finally posted again.
I'm yet to see the sense in putting the charge points in main crash areas. Maybe the time will come when an extra emergency port will be put under the back seat or something.
thanks for pointing that out. didn't even notice that. would be good to have an extra port though.
I guess when you park nose in on the street it makes sense to have the charging port at the front. Good point though.
It makes charging much easier. I have seen people navigating their e-golf to access charging spots.
I do not care if a charging point is damaged in an accident. That's what a car insurance is for.
I guess I'm thinking if you have a little knock end can't charge your car to get home etc.
I think some do it because the charger at charge stations is nearly always right infront as you park, like on normal cars the fuel cap is always at the side of the car as you have to park at the side of a fuel pump
Saying that the i3 has it on the side
Another great video and, at last, another person other than me wearing a Faraday Past tee shirt. Maybe Mark can use some of their classic tracks as incidental music in future videos?
russvhill2 Now there’s an idea...
I never really thought about it, but an EV that uses lots of plastics is basically using oil for that, the very thing it wants to get rid of. Our plastics dependency is very worrying, we really need to find an economically and ecologically viable alternative.
I don’t think anyone really expects EV’s to eliminate all uses of oil. They exist to stop us setting it on fire to get the kids to school or to get to the supermarket.
@@tjwelsh1438 I expect it to eliminate all uses of oil because at some point, may it be far away, we will run out of it.
Plastics can be made from corn or soy.
Not everone rides evs for ecological benefits.
Freeze frame @1:09. Based on looks, which car would you rather get, the blue Soul or the red Stinger behind it ? I preferred the latter. I just wish they would make an EV Stinger.
So cool that this is a car review, rather than an EV review. I own a Tesla Model 3, but have great respect for how Hyundai has embraced electrification -- all the reviews are pretty strong.
Tom Harrison Thank you so much Tom. I try to review cars as cars - as well as considering their drivetrains.
Like a lot of cars that were derived from gas or diesel cars, they waste the front 'engine' bay as storage space. Ground up EV designs, like Tesla or Rivian, package the mechanicals, which are much more compact in e-vehicles than ICE vehicles, so as to use that space better.
Sadly, ground-up new EV monocoques are more expensive though: mass production lowers cost with those Niros, Konas, eGolfs etc.
But monocoque is the future. In the moment the cars start to become moncoque and aerodynamic, probably also light, the EV will have come to the point he needs to be.
The Nissan leaf is still a only EV version chassis but has a common engine hood. I am not sure if it is an advantage to move the charger and drivetrain somwhere only to win a small box in the front. .
BMW has the motor in the back an not really a usable booth if you don't flip the backseats.
@@matneu27 BMW makes around 400 horsepower and has a ermgency engine as generator on board. Making it unpractical by design.
Also, strong rumors are spreading that Lexus is going to introduce an EV with 4 electric engines located in the wheel wells, completely nullifying whatever intital non-problems there was in the first place. If it's true, this would be another breakthrough.
Makes you wonder why the Kona ( premium se ) is approx £4k dearer than the Soul ( first edition ) with the same battery size. The specs from what I can see are about the same, the Kona does have the ventilated seats but that's about it. Am I missing something ?
i`ve got a question... what about reviewing a eletric car that has been more then 5 years on the road and test they`re charging capabilities and baterie duration
Question to Kia (and others) - How are you going to get the charging leads out (5:40) with 1,339 litres (5:57) of stuff in the boot? - why did they not put a cover of the motor (10:39) to hold the cables which would also be close to the charge socket. Just like other EV manufacturers a simple design change would make living with them easier. - If I have another £32,300 I would buy one anyway.
Hoping to put three more years on my current Soul and then I'd seriously consider this. Just need to get my head around that purchase price!
Props to the editor for putting the Kia start up sound at the very end in sync with the "thank you" animation!
I like the front storm trooper look but he bloody back🙈
Yeah, I always hated it but it starting to grow on me.
Great test drive of the Soul EV. Jonny is informative, and humorously entertaining.
Question: As the battery technology improves for the Kia EV's, will I be able to swap out the old battery for the newer one? Thanks.
Dream on ..... They will just want you to buy a new one
I ordered a Soul EV the day they new version was announced in the UK. The delivery date is currently April 2020. I hope it comes sooner than that.
ordered one last week, delivery date supposed to be Q1 2020. Today got notified it might be as early as October 2019, so fingers crossed.
IMHO the Soul EV is one of the coolest electric vehicles out there.
Granted, it‘s design is controversial, but I for my part, like it a lot. It looks quite a bit like a japanese ‚Kei-Car‘ and it is practical (and roomy) as hell.
Kia and Hyundai are doing a great job on EVs. Props to them!
When you sit in the Soul you understand why people like it: height, view, seat comfort, heads up display, controls locations. Love it. Want it. Sadly, won't.
I always thought I should have waited 6 months before buying my 2014 leaf and got the soul. Looks way nicer.
Had a Kona when delivering the Nissan Leaf at a repair shop while on vacation. Choosed the Kona since it looked larger. Well, there was almost no legspace in the backseat and we had to repack the luggage to make it fit, but because of a LOT of space wasted in the luggage compartment we had to leave lot of stuff in the Leaf
The e Niro is by far the best of the Hyundai/Kia bunch. Same drive train but a decent size. The LEAF is a traditional hatchback, with a best in class boot, it's massive. I would expect the Kona and Soul to be far less practical than the LEAF.
Johnny on hands and knees crawling around a car commenting on styling - that is why I love this channel!
yeah but did you notice he missed the black plastic over the front wheel
The e soul is available in Ireland to buy today! Took one for a test drive about 2 weeks ago 39,100 euro for 64 kWh battery.
Has there been any safety testing done? That's a factor in my buying decisions.
I have the 2018 Kia Soul EV. I love it. BUT one of the selling points was being able to use the App. It doesn’t work in the UK. Will it work on the new Soul EV in the UK?
Excellent report. However, I live in southern Florida, USA and I would not appreciate a glass roof due to the heat from the sun so I hope it will be an option not the default. This report makes the Kia EV my top pick for a new car. Thanks.
On this picture there's no sunroof www.kia.com/us/en/content/vehicles/upcoming-vehicles/2020-soul-ev?file=soul-ev_2020_interior_driver-seat
An interesting vehicle, how does it compare to the Leaf? Perhaps another Fully Charged episode idear.
Top-notch Journalism there Jonny!
2:12 to 2:28 wow. I haven't seen anyone get such passionate about some plastic.
I think the Kia Soul EV will sell in truck loads. As long as they make enough of them, fast enough. And it's time to review the new MG ZS EV. James, from the James and Kate channel, got his hands on one in the UK spec and was knocked out by the overall package for the price. Nice video, as always.
The outside looks fine, the inside is Fisher Price unfortunately. A bit the opposite of the i3, where the outside is not to everyone's taste (I like it), and the interior is wonderful.
By the way, the E-Soul sounds more quiet than the Kona, is this true?
The inside is pretty nice. Not BMW or Mercedes nice, but definitely in line with middle class cars of other brands.
The i3 is no way near in this category also this is far more reliable than the i3
This is the kind of car that your grandma accidentally buys you for Christmas because she thought it was a Tesla 3, and the sales person reassured her it could be exchanged if it wasn't the one her grandchild wanted.
But it looks good tbh and I wouldn't exchange it
I wouldn't say no to this as a present from granny! Just hope it doesn't blow up "real good" in the garage, though!
A Soul for you! And one for you! And one for everyone!
It's a cool ass car.
I'd rather buy this any other car right now, except for the Tesla cars ofc. But then again, I don't have the money nor do these cars sell in my country.
Brilliant video. Sums up the soulEV perfectly. I have the 2018 version and based on this review i will be looking at getting the 2020 version when it comes to renewing. I've had mine a year and not had one single problem. In fact it still gives me that novelty factor when i drive it. Best feature is that beats any car from a standing start. love it!
Love your auto reviews. They have a lot of soul.
For a "controversial" car, the Soul sure is popular in middle America. We have a thing we do in our family where we count how many we see when we're out on an errand, because they're so distinctive you can't miss them. Current record is 28 in one afternoon. We can definitely use more EVs that are just regular cars, and it doesn't get much more regular than a Soul these days.
Hi all at fully charged as usual great work, thought I would just mention I’ve found a manufacturer dealer that are helpful about electric cars, as a result I’ve finally left a deposit on one, I have struggled with the 30k price tag of most working class EVs but MG have come up trumps with the MG ZS EV is this car a game changer bringing a family small SUV to the market at a more realistic price ?
Awesome Review.. Well covered quite exhaustive. You made me orient towards considering Hyundai and Kia options as well.
So, do you think that the concave part of the bonnet will fill when parked in the rain?
My mom drives a 2016 Kia Soul, which I've always been keen about. It's a wonderful vehicle, save the quite sensitive brakes (for me, that is).
Souls are quite plentiful where she lives in Central Florida. It's an area specific for retirees and seniors really appreciate the ease of entry/egress. The Honda Odyssey is about as plentiful in her area for the very same reason.
I like this a lot, love the front and rear lights, looks proper futuristic. Nice one
If you can manage to fit this into your busy schedule. Please would to do some coverage on the new MG ZS EV please? Price is interesting for the size. Thanks in advance
You didn’t talk about the feel of the brakes -are they notchy, fidgety, etc- nor the regenerative feel / braking, or the suspension feel, does it tow a trailer, servicing costs, spare wheel - strewth, I’ll have to look elsewhere for my information.
Looks like a huge blind angle at the back?
Also even though it makes sense to buy the one with the large battery pack, I suppose that like the Kona, in mid 2019 there’s a year and a half waiting list by now.
Which countries this car will going sale? Do you have information?
So far it is on sale in Europe and expected at selected dealerships in the US.
I drive a Citroen C3 Picasso(I'm on my second one) for its superb flexible, bulky load carrying capability along with good roomy passenger space, lots of glass, high driving position, etc. etc.
Perfect!!
This - so far, seems to be the ONLY EV which comes even close to offering something like the same level of usability in this respect. Looks good. Albeit at TWICE the price of the C3 replacement - C3 Aircross. Also, as usual, unavailable.
I buy 2/3 year old pre-loved. So, how long is it going to be before there's a good supply of affordable used Souls on the market?
Probably at least five years +, by which time new ones will be freely available to supply the used market(we can only hope)
Maybe by then there will be a simple, comprehensive, reliable, standardised public charging network out there.??!
Don't hold your breath.......
Thank you! They're nice looking!
Great viideo. .Have driven the E SOUL For 2 and a half years love it.Best car ever till i seen the up grade the range inrease will mean i dont need to rent a car for our holidays.thanks Gez.
loved the crawl-around !
They should make a sporty version of this and call it the R-Soul. It would go down great in the UK.
Knapweed brilliant.
I own the 2016 Kia Soul EV , I live in Austin,TX and let me tell you. People who own these cars love them for a reason! I’m faster then most cars on the road , I make money doing Uber and charging for free, I do deliveries for a furniture store and make money on deliveries , all in an electric car. I have driven to Dallas and San Antonio! And can’t wait to upgrade to the 2020 soon or the 2019 one day
Come visit me and I will show you what an electric car can do!
I’m so glad this car exists.
Great video. I'd love if you could start adding the backseat width. We're looking for a family car that'll fit all our carseats, so it'd be great to have some of those details when describing the vehicles. Keep up the good work :)
I drove the 64 Kwh e-soul last week, very impressed, the lane keep assist is really good. I drove almost 200 Kms.
I found it a lot nicer than the Kona and noticed less wheel spin and much less road noise than the Kona.
75 Kw max charging on a 100+ Kw charger, not bad. I noticed max 144 Kw Regen, that was impressive and shows what the battery could be capable of if only CCS 1 could deliver more current.
Two errors in the video that I noticed. One, the batteries are made by SK Innovation, not LG Chem. Two, it's not called the e-Soul everywhere outside the UK, it's also called the Soul EV in Canada.
all right!
The Kia website shows a Gray leather with some light up bits.
There is clearly some space in the front area for an aftermarket tray for a "frunk".
I have an idea for an episode, all the hosts pick there favourite car and complete a driving related challenge for example, who can charge the least number of times driving from Spain to Manchester. I would like to see how far Evs can be pushed in real life conditions and challenges would create an opportunity for you to demonstrate this and produce great programs.
claire higgins They would all pick LR AWD Model 3 Tesla’s - it has the fastest charging speed so would win.
First of all let me say that Jonny always does an excellent car-review, and Fully Charged is a wonderful Channel. I may not always appreciate what's on offer because I'm such a ghastly oik, but I thoroughly enjoy ALL of the videos. Yes. I'm subscribed. Oh, and YAY, Robert, too. ♥
I still prefer the old intro, by the way. [No, I WOULDN'T LET IT LIE, as Vic and the other Bob would have said.]
Enough of me trying to be nice. I'm essentially a very, very bad girl, so here's what I think of this car. I'm going to be a mite contrary.
I love the tech, but I hate the tech. Meaning... the fact that it's an EV with a battery pack, some wheels, and ooh, all sorts of essential EV things, is good. What INFURIATES me (grrr, Elli smash) is that there's so much nonsense crammed in to justify the hilarious price.
"Ah, but it's necessary, madam - it's added value, d'you see? People expect their little luxuries, ha ha ha, so they feel they're buying a premium product but at an affordable price... Now, take the Tesl- "
STOP RIGHT THERE. Stop it or you'll get a slap. I don't use the 'T' word.
Air conditioning? Electric windows? No, mate. I lived in Kenya for a while in the 1970s. Slap, bang on the Equator. Oh, the heat! The flies! And the drums! Carstairs, do something about those demmmed, demmmed DRUMS! I can't... stand... Aaargh!
Sorry. Bit of a flashback, there. Anyhoo: leave your (white) Peugeot 404 in the midday sun for 20 minutes and the measured - not guessed - interior temperature would often hit 59°C (138°F).
Cars didn't have air-con or region-specific climate control or refrigerated bloomin' seats; they had hand-cranked windows, a newspaper to cover the windscreen, and another one to sit on. Open the doors, stand well back, count to ten, cover the seat, get in, go. Perfectly adequate. Nobody complained.
And as for all of the KIA's 'essential' smart systems and cameras and safety features and driving aids and screens and displays and sensors and the ability to control it from your mobile phone... Well, pardon my French, but that just makes me bl**dy angry. Expensive toys.
Please, someone - make a cheap EV.
I'll provide the newspapers. I always found the Standard provided better coverage than the Nation or Taifa Leo. (But then I've always had a pretty huge bum...)
Elli P underrated comment.
Also think the EV market is skewed towards the gadgety end of the market. I guess there aren’t many charging stations in the wilds of Kenya. Swappable batteries also should be explored more.
Why do all (or most) EV's have a 12V lead acid battery? In combustion engine cars, that 12V battery was for your starter motor and was charged by your alternator, but there's no starter motor in an EV, so why the huge battery pack out of Lithium Ion and a heavy 12V lead acid battery in an electric car?
Steve Davey the 12 volt batteries run all the electronics and accessories. U don’t want those things ran off the drive battery so u can save as much as possible for range.
My Ioniq doesn’t have a 12v battery.
Because cost.
Very nice! Although I just looked at Kia's USA site and the Soul EV will be sold here for 2020.
This and Hyundai kona really get me excited for electric cars options......
Love this channel. Great reviews with great content. Thanks guys.............
Good to hear that Kia have decreased the cobalt in the battery. Fossil heads always bang on about cobalt and the miners in poor countries. Have they seen Nigeria and other places that have oil development destroying locals lives? Budah of Birmingham
main reason Kia wants to reduce their dependency on Cobalt is that Cobalt mining is pretty much a Chinese monopoly, they control more than 90% of the world's Cobalt supply and only release it onto the market in a trickle to keep it that way and keep prices up.
I like the way it changes colour, too, from blue, to lime green, to white! Is that on a switch too? If it's auto-random, it could cause confusion in a car-park :-P
Heck, I wish it changed color
great Video as "usual" . I like to ask if you can command on sitting position in future videos. to me one of the main points in reviewing cars. thank you for your work and also doing these revs different.
I've always wondered what EVs are like in extreme weather in Bulgaria we have 40c in summer and -27c in winter ?
Not sure about other EVs but Tesla just gets you to wherever you need to be while ice cars leave you stranded. Just watch Tesla videos driving in extreme cold temperatures and snow.
Until they install some charge points it's a bit redundant I think there is less than 100 on the whole country
Is there a list of colors you can get the electric version in? (US)
I've only been able to find the list for all the ICE versions. Really hoping I can get that dark green color on this.
Let's hope that if they ever do a high performance version it doesn't get an R prefix.
Nah, Soul R would sound much better xD
I want it in America yesterday. So eager to test drive it!
Home charging times need to be much faster to make EVs truly mainstream. I would love one as a taxi, but I have a driver on the shift I don’t work. He does 100 miles and I do around 80 per day. It has 6 hours non use to charge at home. Not enough hours in the day at a charge rate of 15 miles per hour to make this viable.
I am happy to see the great work in progress toward an EV future, but I wonder what consumers will do when the glut of available gas ends up lowering the price down towards $ 1 + per gallon?
what do you think iF gas was 1.49 $ a liter like in Canada october 2021 , 3.78 liter for a us gallon do the math) i changed for a ev Soul , it cost me about 50 cents cdn to run near 400 km(248 miles)
May I also suggest Fully electric to make videos on green projects like the Verde Vertical in Mexico City.
I agree with your general point, but having looked up the Verde Vertical I would not suggest this example for two reasons: firstly it is not a consumer technology or in any way related to consumer choice like cars, home appliances, public transport options etc. (this is what Fully Charged are mainly interested in); secondly it is arguably irrelevant to the uptake of low carbon technology, as it is being provided to mop up the air pollution of ICEs. To say it again though I do agree with your general point...
Tbf, the FC channel does look at interesting ways to provide low-carbon, carbon neutral and carbon negative power and products. It is not just an EV channel, by any means. They've looked at heat pumps in Scotland, ultracapacitors in Estonia, different types of batteries over the world, different methods of power generation, etc... Nothing that is a genuine step forward is off-limits. If they haven't covered it, it's because they haven't covered it... yet.
The Kia soul is on trial here in Guayaquil Ecuador to possible be adopted as a taxi. If it works out this will be the new taxi that will be required when the ICE cars are retired from service. With just over 2000 taxis in service here this is a big chance for KIA. Looks like a nice car, for me I would like to see a vehicle that can accommodate people with disabilities, and a no lip tailgate.
More options are always nice! But the price? The long range version is 40k€. That's too much for a car that in my opinion looks a bit cheap.
Yep, it is moving into Tesla model 3 price range and it that is a big fail
The dash reminds me of the 90's. Just not feeling that interior... in my soul.
I'd agree but it comes down to supply and demand. At the moment electric cars from South Korea are in short supply and high demand so Kia can name their own price and still sell all they can produce. Cell costs have dropped 85% since 2010 and will continue to get cheaper, couple that with the expanding number of EV manufacturers (particularly from China) and we will hopefully see a 30% drop in purchase price in 5 years (wild guess).
Did Johnny buy the trainers to match the car or did Kia give him a pair ?
Francesco Nicoletti Model’s own mate ;)
Nice review, but why not inform us on booth volume and loading capacity?, which, seen the profile of the car, could distinguish it from it's brothers.
Also a pity that there is no frunk, the space must be there, with the engine mounted that low...
Can't believe how much I like it, maybe I'm turning funky!!
With a flat black roof like that, what's the real reason its not already enrolled as a pv panel?
The back door panels from recent volkswagens are also in hard plastic.
KOKAM lithium polymer pouch cells were out early 2000s they were making cells that were powerful and good back then. I was using them for model aircraft.
That blue really works with the weird shape. The green one in the intro is also interesting :D
Johnny good review. I have the 2017 Soul EV +. Love the light gray leather interior. In our super hot part of the world gray stays cooler. Also gray does not show dust, etc. I cannot figure why almost all cars have black interiors. It has been a deal breaker for me; I have passed on cars I really liked since all they offered was black. I was thinking of the Nero EV and the Soul EV but I don't want black. Will wait and see what is offered in our area of the world when Soul is available. Your are correct the Nero EV has black and black/gray interrior. Saw one in town and the black interior was a turn off for me.
Need to have one of the interior designers drive a car for a summer in 100+ degree days and see how well it works. Not all of the world is in Korea or Europe where black is not an issue.
Again great work. Always look forward to a Fully Charged episode.
I don't mind the look of black, but the black dashboard is a terrible idea when the sun heats up the huge dashboards of modern cars. I live in Korea, and it's too hot in the summer. My car must be parked in the shade, or the air conditioner just can not counteract the amazing oven-like waves of heat coming from the dashboard. A grey dashboard would be a huge improvement I think.
I also have a 2012 Mitsuibishi iMiev. The dash is so large and being black the airconditioner could not cool the car. I had a custom light gray dash cover made. Helped a lot. I guess in the summer it gets hot enough there that you can appreciate a lighter cooler.
The Soul EV is not bad with the light gray interior. Once we get started it cools down nicely.
Henry Ford said "You can have any color you want as long it is black.". I believe that was during the heyday of the Ford Model T. GM got the jump on Ford; they offered colors for their cars when Ford would not.
The one thing that impressed me about the Fiat 500 was all the colors you could pick for the interior. The car was too small but had nifty interiors.
Distraction versus help... while I appreciate the help most of the time, my Honda Hybrid has, several times, slammed on the brakes when I was in no danger of a collision (a car in front of me slowing and turning right). One evening, the car behind me had to brake very hard to avoid rear-ending me. It wasn't good.
It's on sale here in Ireland but only the 64kW in 4 two tone colors and no heatpump and no options. Would have liked to see 11/22kW ac charging
If there is a HUD, why is there a binnacle? Can't that info be displayed by the HUD (should be)?
Another well done review. Simply love them!
Sometimes I think the front trunk is pointless, but here, since the charging port is in the front and there is clearly space, they should have done the storage for cables and such in the front.