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Kia’s pioneering Soul EV has been officially removed from sale in the UK after 10 years on the price lists, as it passes the baton for affordable, practical and boxy electrification to the EV3.
The first-generation Soul EV was launched in November 2014, marking the brand’s first step into the EV market. Kia’s first globally sold EV offered a then-class-leading range of up to 132 miles on a single charge from a 27kWh battery pack. This was usefully more than the other electric cars on sale at the time, notably Nissan’s 24kWh Leaf.
The Soul EV combined the same boxy styling and practical dimensions and as its petrol equivalent.
Kia didn’t pursue lofty sales ambitions for the Soul EV in its first year, expecting to sell between 100 and 200 units. The car was imported in limited quantities as Kia found its feet in the market, with only 13 UK dealers offering the car. This figure grew to 19 dealers in January 2015. The UK also lacked infrastructure, with only 5,222 public charging points across the country in November 2014, a figure which has since grown to more than 315,000.
Kia delivered almost 1,000 Soul EV units by 2018 as EV sales began to gain traction. Kia’s EV line-up grew to two, with the e-Niro joining the newly facelifted Soul EV which went on sale in 2019 with a more powerful drivetrain and a larger battery pack boosting its range up to 280 miles.
Largely thanks to the e-Niro, 2020 also saw a drastic jump in EV sales for Kia with the brand selling 7,426 EVs in the UK throughout the year, a significant leap when compared with the 712 sold in 2019 – an increase of 943%.
Following the widespread success of the e-Niro model, in the UK and globally, Kia outlined plans to offer 15 EVs worldwide by 2027, nine of which are due on-sale in the UK. The brand currently offers four EVs to UK customers (Niro EV, EV3, EV6 and EV9).
Paul Philpott, President & CEO, Kia UK Limited: “To mark a decade of EV sales in the UK is an achievement we’re proud of, and a landmark which very few other brands can celebrate just yet.
“In 2014, we ended the year having sold just over 77,000 new cars, and as the 12th most popular brand in the UK. Fast-forward a decade, Kia UK has surpassed 100,000 new car sales for the third year in a row, and almost 50% of all our sales this year have been EV, HEV or PHEV. We also currently rank as the 4th most popular brand in the UK year-to-date, a significant increase on our 2014 position. EVs have played an increasingly important role in this.”
