Kia Rolls Out Plans for 17 New Fast Chargers for 2015 Soul EV

2015 Kia Soul EV (Credit: © Kia)

With electric vehicles becoming more readily available in certain markets, like California, manufacturers are starting to reveal their plans for adding to buyer confidence with networks of charging stations. Kia is set to start selling its new Soul EV in the third quarter of 2014, and the Korean automaker has revealed its plans to add more charging stations to ease buyers’ minds.

Kia will add a total of 17 new DC fast chargers to California’s network of chargers by the end of the year, taking the total number of fast chargers in the network to 215 — a nine-percent increase. On top of the fast chargers added to the network, Kia will also add multiple Level 2 240-volt chargers and 50kW Tera 53 CJ DC fast chargers to select Northern and Southern California dealerships.

The 240-volt chargers take less than five hours to charge the Soul EV’s battery, while the fast charger takes about 33 minutes. Though neither is nearly as fast as topping off a gasoline-powered car, they are both much faster than the 24-hour charge time on a standard 120-volt outlet. On a full charge, the Soul EV can travel 80 to 100 miles, depending on the conditions.

The addition of these chargers to California’s infrastructure shows that Kia is dedicated to making electric cars a reality. This will hopefully push the Korean automaker to launch the Soul EV and other electric models nationwide, as well as a nationwide charging network to help boost EV sales in the near future.