Kia Soul EV A Big Hit In CA; Sales To Expand Sooner Than Planned

Just over a year ago, the 2015 Kia Soul EV was introduced at the 2014 Chicago Auto Show as the Korean brand's first U.S.-market electric car.

At the time, Kia said it would launch the Soul EV in California, but would eventually expand sales of the battery-electric tall wagon to four more states.

With a rated range of 93 miles, plus more interior volume and cargo space, the Soul EV has a number of features that set it apart from other compact five-door electric vehicles on the market.

Now, thanks to robust demand in the Golden State, that expansion will reportedly occur sooner than originally planned.

With the Soul EV a certified hit with California customers, Kia will accelerate roll out plans--if it can build enough cars to meet demand, product manager Steve Kosowski told Charged EVs.

The company wants to ensure that it will still have enough inventory available for California dealers already selling the car.

California will likely continue to be the biggest market for the electric Soul, as it is for plug-in cars nationwide, with roughly 40 percent of all battery-electric and plug-in hybrid cars in the country on its roads.

The Kia Soul EV is currently sold at 17 dealers in California, and Kia had previously discussed expanding sales to New Jersey, New York, Oregon, and Maryland.

However, that may not necessarily be the plan going forward.

The carmaker is "changing things around a bit," with regard to Soul EV expansion plans, Kia American vice president of product planning Orth Hedrick said in a recent interview with Autoblog Green.

He said customer interest in the Soul EV was significantly greater than Kia had originally anticipated, saying officials were "kind of shocked" by how well it was received.

As well as the U.S., Kia currently sells the Soul EV in its home market of Korea, where the car is also built.

European sales are also planned at some point in the future.

A announcement regrading the new Soul EV distribution plan is expected relatively soon, perhaps during the 2015 New York Auto Show next month.

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