2018 Kia Soul EV Review - Living With An Electric Car - New Motoring

[@fatboy19831]

1. Buy a second charge cable. Leave one plugged in at home. 2. Charge everyday when you get home. If you drive 30 miles your car will top off wile you sleep. 3. You only have to sign up one time. After that you just plug in and charge. 4. You do not have to charge from empty to full. Just enough to get home or to do what you need to do. You should be able to charge 60 miles in just a few minutes if you are down to 20 miles.

[@jamesfleming6773]

Yes he does sound like a bit of a whiner

[@themakersstation]

We’ve had this 2018 used Kia Soul for about 2 weeks and love it! Had an event 30 miles from home, charged up at a charging station for $1.85, did the event and drove home. Beats filling the gas tank at $47 with the alarming rate of gas prices. Absolutely love the car! Oh, and it’s winter & cold in Vermont. We highly recommend this car.

[@Thrusthamster]

So you have a messy garage, and you weren't instantly familiar with how to fast charge a completely new type of vehicle? The app issue is only for the first time anyway. Sure it might be frustrating, but it all sounds unnecessarily whiny to me

[@MythosGandaar]

TheFasting it's especially impressive - maybe sad, that it took him 25 minutes to download an app and create an account. For a non elderly adult that should take no more than 5 minutes, maybe 10 if your internet is slow. He's definitely whining.

[@jceess]

Shhh, it's people like this who will pay top dollar for our old gas cars when we trade them in for new EVs!

[@LookingGlass24]

Thrusthamster I didn’t perceive it as him whining. I appreciated his message that for many of us, an EV could change many aspects of our lives. My garage is also messy, and I’d have to do some serious picking up to facilitate charging it. He shared several things that other enthusiasts wouldn’t, and that’s music to my ears. He keeps it real. I loved hearing how the car impacts his personal life commitments. The very same would happen with me, so he provoked my thoughts in a very good way.

[@JustinTOsburn]

Thrusthamster I was just about to comment the exact same thing lol Ive been driving an EV for a year and have NONE of these issues whatsoever.

[@michaelpickering1009]

You've done it again this review told me more about living with a EV than any other review I've seen, the details about cables range waiting etc exceptional !!!

[@newmotoring]

Thank you so much Michael! Comments like that mean an awful lot. Seán

[@jelomaxjoiner]

Little research on charging stations on zapmap and there is no problem at all

[@ekhaat]

What do you really know about living with an EV? There is no way I would go back to a fossil car, if there is any way I can avoid it.

[@ColinMill1]

This video is specific to the UK. I'm glad you find an EV so convenient but to understand the issue here you could perhaps check out the various EV road trip reports here to see the poor state of the EV support infrastructure here in the UK - especially outside the South East region.

[@JustWasted3HoursHere]

I tell everybody I know how great they are, and I don't even own one (yet!). They talk about "not enough range", so I challenge them with the following: Reset your trip odometer and drive your gas/petrol/diesel car for 30 days. At the end of the 30 days, take that number and divide it by 30: That is how far you drive per day on average. If you are like most people, that number is below 30 miles. But even if it's over 30 miles, it's very likely less than half the range of even the so-called "compliance" cars out there in poor conditions (highway driving, heater on, etc). And in the case of the Kia, if you do happen to need to go over that you have the rapid charge capability which will have you on your way in about 30 minutes.

[@docdr7199]

I have an RFID card that lives in my Soul EV. Using it, it takes about 2 minutes to start charging. No app, no login, no tangled cables. Public charging points in Scotland are plentiful with leckie currently free at many of them. Sorry to disappoint.

[@PsyTechnical]

All I know is I love mine!

[@daytriker]

You brought up some interesting points especially about the poor re-fueling conditions although I see that as more of an infrastructure problem rather than a fault of owning the Kia. With the Chinese & Tesla setting up 1000's of charging stations there does need to be a set standard that people can use & my bet for the next 10 years would be to go with a plug in hybrid to help alleviate the hassle of topping up.

[@chrisbranicki]

Norway is the best example of how it should be done. Just two main charging point operators (one of which I believe is state ran) and the cover the entire country. A lot of those chargers have roofs too.

[@Nifilheimur]

Just the savings in road tolls and being able to use bus lanes in an EV makes me seriously regret not buying an EV. will be changing in the summer and thinking about buying the Kia

[@pHD77]

Nifilheimur Just remember that at some point in time, those EV privileges will be rewoked. This will probably happen once the infrastructure is fully in place and the percentage of EVs driving around is high enough. But for now, those incentives are certainly worth taking into consideration from an economical point of view.

[@chrisbranicki]

pHD77 Even when all the incentives are gone, which I don’t think is going to happen soon, the savings in fuel and better reliability/cheaper servicing alone is enough reason for me. Petrol and diesel prices will only be going up in Europe.

[@pHD77]

Chris Branicki Just don't buy a NEW electric vehicle, as they depreciate fast due to massive leaps in technological development, such as faster charging, larger batteries and better features. These days it's better to either lease the EV or to buy an older model second hand and let some other rich bastard take the huge depreciation hit. Unless, of course, you actually plan to drive around in it for 10 years or so...

[@chrisbranicki]

I never mentioned buying new. I'm not a millionaire. Leasing would be the way to go for me.

[@darlingimscared]

You've answered my main question after wanting an EV but I ride a motorbike year round for fun the only time I want to use a car is for winter and doing all that stuff with no roof at the outlets is a no go. So thank you for helping I know I have a wait a few more years before I ditch the clio

[@silisolutions4346]

I've got one in Canada and am getting an almost consistent 200k when I charge. I almost never use the brakes, just taking the foot off the gas does most of the slowing, so I rarely put my foot on the brake. I also had the problem of setting up accounts for different chargers, but it took less time than setting up to pay parking via the phone. I love driving this peppy thing, I had a tr6 as a kid, and a spitfire as well, and driving this reminds me of that fun... fast off the line, pretty quick on the highway too... 0-100 km/h is definitely faster for me, i think you might have it on "eco" mode

[@dancompton1686]

Hey, also in canada considering this car. How's the winter mileage?

[@leadsheep]

Seriously mate? Have a whinge about how long it took you to download an app and login? That's a one time issue. No roof overhead for the charge? Come on... This is a terrific car for anyone who drives 150km or less every day. Your lack of preparation is surely not a knock against EV cars.

[@rarevhsuploads4995]

The point is that he wouldn't have to do any of that with a petrol car & that he will likely have to do it all again at different service station with electric pumps from another company. It wasn't a whine, but a minor & legitimate criticism. Electric pumps are perfectly safe in the rain, that should of been researched & highlighted in the video but roofing should & probably will be provided as infrastructure improves over time. It's not there yet. A reviewer's job is to point out negative & positive aspects. Yes he really should just tidy the garage up if the EV car needs constant access. I felt it was a very balanced review.

[@dingdingdingdiiiiing]

Complaints are legit. Progress should mean less hassle, not more.

[@AndrewKNI]

Interesting car, perfect for the city. Would love the silence and effortless 0-30mph acceleration. Pity they are still range limited and too expensive brand new.

[@newmotoring]

As a city car it's ideal, although expensive, as you say. The 0-30 is fun...

[@trolleyboy1000]

I have this exact car and I pay £220 per month for a lease of 15k miles per year. I drive 60 miles per day, awesome car. I've had a whole load of different cars, and this one is by far the best car I've had. All of these reviews focus on one thing; charging. If you want an electric car, you need a home charger, they are almost free with a grant and cut charging times from 13 to 5 hours.

[@AndrewKNI]

Craig Syme that's excellent Craig. May you continue to enjoy your car :-)

[@Dindonmasker]

Craig Syme i am looking into buying one for myself. would you have any tips to share? first electric car too!

[@AndrewKNI]

Hi. One tip from me, buy secondhand as depreciation could be very high. A new Renault Zoe in the UK is around £22,000 however a 2-3 year old one can be purchased for £6,500. That's a bargain. Good luck with your purchase.

[@williamsmith8041]

Can you charge the car while the motor is running??

[@51StPi]

Why don't n't the charging points have a card reader? With a sign on them telling you how much they are going to cost.

[@JustWasted3HoursHere]

Your experience with getting set up with that first public charger is only due to not already being set up and being inexperienced. The next time you do you will be already enrolled and more knowledgeable about the process. Overall, though, I do agree that the whole infrastructure, even in 2020, has a ways to go but it's getting there.

[@FishmacFLTRU]

Absolutely spectacular video!, thank you!!

[@newmotoring]

Glad you liked it - no problem!

[@johnfaulkner6776]

I have a 2018 30kwh Kia Soul and I love it! I had a 2016 22kwh Zoe before this car. I owned the battery.

[@ALYDAVIDSON1]

Hi John have you still got your soul, if so what is the real range you can get from the 30kw battery?

[@johnfaulkner6776]

@@ALYDAVIDSON1 yes I still have it. Have never tried ( or had to) eke out every last mile to do a real test. I also tend to run the battery between 20% and 80% which seems to be the consensus on good practice. But in present cold weather an 80% charge shows available mileage at about 100 miles ish. So equates to 120 on full charge. But summer is far better and maybe 140 plus. Winter I am getting about 3.8 miles per kwh but in summer almost 5. Again I don't try too hard to economise though I do drive on eco almost always.

[@kitthearty]

In one of those Barrie great britain shows Britain's Greatest Machines - S02E02: I think he said the rollout of petrol stations in a lot of the UK took about ten years (after ww1). They had to invent the petrol tanker. Ten years from getting petrol at a chemist to driving in and getting the tank filled. Mind you there was no competition (except horses and push bikes) so it happened fast. from 1920 to 30 60,000 petrol stations. Can be done....

[@dingdingdingdiiiiing]

What I took away from this is, that a car like this is only good for you if 90% of your days are spent driving less than 160km before coming back home to stay there for at least an hour (considering the impact of low temperatures), you have to have a garage with a proper quick charger. In that case, there are no downsides. Commute, charge, maybe do some other driving, charge. If your mileage varies (heh), and you have hectic days not knowing what to expect, just forget about it. There are those who this is a car with which they will not at all feel more constrained, while others will get annoyed and anxious, so it has to fit your lifestyle just right.

[@mattvjmeasures]

Once they can achieve fastcharge 15 minutes and range 200 miles I'm in.

[@suvaashpandey6899]

get a tesla then ✌✌

[@mariuscostinas2189]

The Terra High Power DC can add 120 miles of range to car in just eight minutes

[@piglet5287]

Thank you for your clear-headed and practical review, so refreshing after all the hype about EVs from other motoring journalists. I agree that neither battery technology nor charging infrastructure are up to the job yet, not for the ordinary Jo anyway. Besides, who wants to pay £29k for an ugly hatchback with an interior on a par with a Dacia Sandero?

[@newmotoring]

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it. It will get there say but it's not there yet. Then again we didn't go from a horse and cart to a car overnight. As fun as electric cars are, £29k is a lot of money for a car this small. But, again, its expensive because it's new - it'll get cheaper eventually!

[@MrHairyTeabag]

No-one pays list tho ;-)Would it appeal more if it was under £20k?Well guess how much they are on www.drivethedeal.com right now? Under 20 grand. And these are 30kWh models rather than the 27kWh version to early 2017, so 120-130miles in summer use (100 in winter) is doable.

[@piglet5287]

Thanks for that information! Somehow I'm still not tempted though

[@E1025]

Hi, I know this is an older video but could anyone please tell me what connector type the 2018 e soul uses? Thank you.

[@jollyjohn6403]

That was a lovely review . especially the hassles of getting permissions and apps to charge an Ev! Thanks . Now go clean out your garage.

[@newmotoring]

Thanks John! Glad you enjoyed it. And oh, yeah, I probably should...

[@antohosm43]

Another excellent objective review. More or less confirms my suspicion that the legislators are well ahead of the infrastructure base. Something to ponder...the consequences of a serious collision of an EV car could lead to the fracture of a lithium ion battery and a consequent explosion and fire as hydrogen gas ignites. Just see on KZbin the result of a laptop/smartphone charging fault!

[@newmotoring]

Thank you! The infrastructure will get there. As I said in the video, we've had 100 years to get petrol/diesel cars to where they are today! And you're very right... Lithium battery fires can take a long time to put out, and hydrogen fuel cells are potentially quite dangerous, but petrol tanks are too. It's all a matter of balancing the new technology, and of course the potential dangers, and reacting to it appropriately.

[@brianshannon6642]

This review is almost complete nonsense. For a start, moving junk in his garage seems to be beyond his capabilities. Poor guy. Second, charging at home is typically a matter of lifting a cable from the home charge point and plugging it into the car. It is not a complicated affair of messing with long unwieldy cables from your boot. He knows that would be the case if he lived with the car. It's a criticism based on his short term usage and need to make a video. It's nothing to do with real world usage. Third, the apps aren't great but the setup is a one off and he did only need a five minute charge (ie. as long as a fill up would have taken at a pump) and instead apparently waited a full half hour with no reason given. Perhaps that's for the purpose of testing the charge speed but that's for his video and it's not a limitation of the car or infrastructure. Notably he did not have to wait on other EV's. It is typical to only need a small top up if at all. Most people don't drive over 114 miles per day. Most people don't do 50! An EV is therefore MORE convenient. The Kia Soul is also one of the most affordable EV's to drive, it's very high spec and it's very cost competitive on PCP. £199/month with £1k down is where the deals are currently at. Running costs are 1/3 of diesel at worst. Performance is not excellent in the Soul at high speeds but it's different, fun and more than sufficient for normal everyday driving. Charging speed, even without a fast home charge point, didn't seem to cause any issues proving the point that current home charge rates are more than sufficient. Current EV deals include home charge points including installation. That includes the Soul EV. Regarding EV fires, they are much, much rarer than petrol/diesel fires for obvious reasons and they're much less dangerous as they typically spread very slowly across the battery pack. There is no hydrogen to ignite in an EV. In short, he tested charging, invented issues and didn't give it a real go.

[@worldhello1234]

@9:01 No, because it is not a new technology.

[@jamiep61]

Great Video Car. Lots more new Electric Cars launching soon including the Toyota Auris

[@newmotoring]

One day the Tesla Model 3 might actually be on sale in the UK, too...

[@casda1972]

Just a 100 years then before we'll all be ready for electric. #wally

[@paulm.4394]

Alot less then that

[@ThomasTheTeslaTuner]

Kia Soul EV beating Leaf with efficiency: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y6a2k3uEoLiAh68

[@Pawel5837]

Are you sponsored by oil industry?

[@akarna69]

England: where people drive on the wrong side of the road and a lot of them can't speak proper English. :D

[@jelomaxjoiner]

England where English originates from your country has corrupted it

[@ThomasTheTeslaTuner]

Real range for 2017 model is far above 100 miles: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pIXHqox8js92mZY

[@bjornyesterday887]

Yet another "review" from a position of total ignorance. Your comical description of public charging only serves to reinforce your lack of knowledge. I am currently driving my third different EV in five years, so I hope my experience trumps yours. In the real world you would be doing 95% of your charging at home. But if not, have the necessary apps. and cards with you. More and more modern pumps use contactless debit cards anyway. You probably routinely plug your phone in every night, so do the same with your car, ideally into a 32 amp. socket, then you won't "find yourself with 23 miles left" to to a 25 mile journey home. Phone apps. tell you if a public charging point is in use or available. It ain't rocket science. If your commute is 80 miles each way you need a Hybrid. Don't buy your car. £30,000 for a smallish hatchback is bonkers. LEASE IT. Finally, don't reverse a Kia Soul EV into a charging bay. The important bits are at the front.

[@newmotoring]

Thanks Ken. I appreciate you commenting, discussion is always good, but it is not a position of total ignorance. I'm a journalist not an EV driver, so there will always be an element of an 'outsider looking in', but that's my job, to review cars, and it's something I do every single day with hundreds of cars per year; my review of the Soul EV and my words on the UK's charging network are to illustrate to people in normal petrol and diesel cars the current shortfalls of the EV world, and as I said time and time again those shortfalls will go away with time and some can be avoided by using the car properly. You are in a very different position precisely because you've had three EVs in five years. Absolutely, you'll charge your car at home overnight as you do your phone, but I wanted to illustrate to non-EV owners how you'll need to change your approach to driving to live with an EV in 2018 i.e. batteries do not have the same mileage as petrol or diesel so driving is less flexible, and to recharge is more complicated than driving into a petrol station and filling up. Again, this is changing with time, but you can't treat an EV the same way you do a petrol or diesel right now! £30,000 is a lot of money for a small car, and leasing will make it less of a sting, but because the technology is new and expensive it does cost more than a petrol or diesel car of the same size. That's not a dig at EVs, that's just a fact. And you're right, all the charging kit for the Soul EV is in the front, but those are the 'beauty shots', there to show the car as a car only. I did park it the other way round at first, but it looked terrible and you couldn't see the whole of the car because of trees/the charging unit/camera position. What three EVs have you owned, by the way? Are they from different manufacturers? Seán

[@bjornyesterday887]

I have to apologise for my rather too abrasive response to your Soul EV piece and thank you for your restrained reply. I do tend to get all precious and defensive when anyone even mildly criticises EVs. I drive them not as an idealogical choice, simply to save money - and I really enjoy the experience. As you may have guessed I currently drive a 2018 30kW Kia Soul and previously had a Nissan Leaf and before that, a Mitsubishi iMiev. What an astonishing little car. If only it had a 40kW battery I would still own it. To have the ability to carry 4 six foot occupants or a full size goods pallet in such a tiny vehicle is amazing. Huge price and small range killed it. I have watched some of your other stuff. Thanks for including the goose-bump inducing exhaust note of the Lister. Finally, huge respect for your dismissive and very amusing response to the people who posted offensive comments about your stature and youthful appearance. It does you credit. I am now a subscriber.