South Korea · First U.S. model year · 2015

Kia Soul EV Base

Kia turned its boxy five-seat hatchback into an electric car without taking away its bright personality or useful rear seat.

Practical electric cars

Exterior · Photo shows First-generation Soul EV photographed as a 2014 European vehicle; representative for the 2015 U.S. Base profile, whose market trim and 27 kWh specification are not visible in the image.. First-generation Soul EV photographed as a 2014 European vehicle; representative for the 2015 U.S. Base profile, whose market trim and 27 kWh specification are not visible in the image.
2014 Kia Soul EV at AutoRAI · Rutger van der Maar · CC BY 2.0

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A place in vehicle history

More than a set of wheels.

The 2015 Soul EV was Kia's first mass-market all-electric car in the United States. It launched first in California before expanding to selected states. Rather than invent a separate-looking science project, Kia started with the familiar second-generation Soul, placed a flat battery beneath the cabin and gave it two different charging inlets behind the grille.

Look a little closer.

The charge doors hide where a gasoline Soul's grille would be, so plugging in looks a little like feeding the car from the front.

Photos show an example of the model or generation. The pictured vehicle’s year, equipment, or modifications can differ from the specification described here.

Two plugs for two kinds of charging

The J1772 inlet accepts ordinary Level 1 or Level 2 alternating-current charging, which the car's 6.6 kW onboard charger converts for the battery. The separate CHAdeMO inlet accepts direct current from a fast charger. Kia quoted four to five hours on 240 volts and 33 minutes to 80% on a 50 kW DC charger—times tied to the specified supply, not promises for every charger or temperature.

Source: Kia America newsroom · 2015 Soul EV specifications ↗

Battery under the room

Kia placed the 27 kWh, 192-cell battery beneath the floor and used air cooling. The pack's mass lowers the center of gravity, while extra cross-bracing protected it and improved torsional rigidity. The compromise is packaging: published rear legroom is shorter than the gasoline Soul's, even though the EV still seats five and retains a useful hatch.

Source: Kia America newsroom · 2015 Soul EV overview ↗

Where these facts come from

Selected facts checked for this edition. Some source pages link to broader model families. Last reviewed September 30, 2026.

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