Comparing layout of the Soul EV battery with other EVs

Kia Soul EV Forum

Help Support Kia Soul EV Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

JejuSoul

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 8, 2015
Messages
1,795
Location
Jeju
-
First: Here's some images and data of the Soul EV battery.
Click an image to see the bigger version.















There are details about the chemistry here - Comparing Battery Chemistries

The Soul EV has a battery by SK Innovation.
It has 192 polymer pouch type cells, lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide (NMC) cathode, .... Each 40Ah battery cell has energy density of 200 Wh/kg
They are laid out in a series string of 96 sets of 2 parallel cells.
The rated capacity of the pack is 75Ah, whereas the measured total capacity is about 85Ah. Hence the rated capacity of each cell is 37.5Ah whereas actual is about 42Ah
The 2015 Soul EV battery pack is 30.5 kWh and weighs 202.8kg -> Gravimetric Energy Density = 150.4 Wh/kg


The battery cell chemistry in the Kia Soul EV is probably NCM 622. It has never been confirmed but the energy density matches what we now know is the energy density of an NMC 622 cell in the B olt EV, and this article SK Innovation rolls out advanced batteries states :



SK Innovation was the first in the world to succeed in the commercial production of advanced NCM 622 batteries.

-

Here's a video in Korean with a lot of detail about the structural integrity of the battery pack.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9H4JjpPFjc

-
 
Now the same data from the I oniq EV

The battery pack is much further back in the vehicle. This is probably because the roof is so much lower than the Soul. There is less space under the seats. I prefer the Soul EV layout, but the I oniq has the advantage of greatly reduced drag.

There's a great comment about the battery layout by anticitizen13.7 written in Jan 2016 on the TMC Forum -
...the I ONIQ is first and foremost designed around a gas/electric hybrid powertrain. If you look at the detailed graphic of the unibody structure, the floorpan is Advanced High Strength Steel (AHSS) rated for over 60 Kgf. You can see the tunnel built for the exhaust pipe, which exists in the powertrain diagram. This is important because it almost certainly rules out the use of a skateboard battery platform in the pure EV version of the I ONIQ (deleting this floorpan to use a skateboard battery would have serious consequences for the rest of the body and chassis, basically requiring an entire re-design). This has several probable consequences for the BEV edition: worse weight distribution, higher center of gravity, and lower cargo space versus T esla, GM, and Nissan....










Code:
High Voltage Battery System
Item                          Specification        Note
Cell                                    96        -
Rated Voltage (V)      	      360        -
Capacity (Ah)                    78        -
Energy (kWh)                    28        -
Weight (kg)                        271.8        - 
Cooling System                  Air Cooled      Forced Air Cooled

The I oniq EV has a battery by LG Chem.
It has 192 polymer pouch type cells laid out in a series string of 96 sets of 2 parallel cells.
The rated capacity of the pack is 78Ah Hence the rated capacity of each cell is 39Ah.
The total energy capacity is 31kWh ( What I have heard from people who have heard from LG, this has not been confirmed by a lab test.)

The I oniq EV battery pack is 31 kWh and weighs 271.8kg -> Gravimetric Energy Density = 114 Wh/kg

---------------------------------

Edit: Originally I didn't believe the 271.8kg figure - but I've seen that number and the 260kg number frequently elsewhere.
Code:
The pure-electric version is much simpler, with a larger, 118bhp electric motor and a 28kWh, 260kg battery.
From - Hyundai I oniq review: A Prius beater from South Korea?

---------------------------------

The battery cell used in the I oniq EV is probably LG Chem's LQ 1729-A2 43Ah Cell.
see: PDF datasheet for Lithium-Ion 43 Ah L3 LG Chem – LQ 1729-A2 Cell



192 cells * 43Ah * 3.75V = 30.96kWh which confirms that the total capacity of the I oniq EV is 31kWh.
The energy density of a single cell is 161.25 Wh / 0.966kg = 167Wh/kg
Hence it is probably not NMC622.

-
 
-
Now the B olt.

While Hyundai is tight-lipped about details of the LG Chem battery in the I oniq EV, GM seems to positively boast and pour out details about the newer version LG Chem battery cells in their Chevy B olt.

Like the Soul EV the B olt battery pack goes below the seats.



The C hevy B olt battery consists of 288 lithium-ion cells in ten battery modules with a total capacity of 60 kWh.



There are lots more pictures and details here Deep Dive: Chevrolet Bolt Battery Pack, Motor And More

also - Drive Unit and Battery at the Heart of Chevrolet Bolt EV

Battery stats:

60 kWh of energy for 238 miles EPA range
battery weight 436 kg
160 kW power output
288 polymer pouch type cells laid out in a series string of 96 sets of 3 parallel cells.
350 V nominal voltage

The B olt EV battery pack has active liquid thermal management like the Volt or M odel S. Like the Volt, there are thin aluminum fins or plates that sandwich between each battery cell. In the Volt, these fins contain small channels with liquid coolant flowing inside. In the Bolt, the fins are passive and do not contain liquid channels. Instead, the fins are connected at the bottom to an active liquid thermal plate which has coolant running through it. The I oniq EV battery pack only has Air Cooling so logically this pack should be heavier.


The 2017 B olt battery pack is 60 kWh and weighs 435kg -> Gravimetric Energy Density = 138 Wh/kg
 
The Soul EV has a battery by SK Innovation.
It has 192 polymer pouch type cells, they are laid out in a series string of 96 sets of 2 parallel cells.

The I oniq EV has a battery by LG Chem.
It has 192 polymer pouch type cells laid out in a series string of 96 sets of 2 parallel cells.

The Torque Pro codes to measure the cell voltages for these two cars are identical.
More info here about the BMS data for the I oniq EV - Setting up Torque to show BMS data on the Ioniq EV

Code:
, Extra BMS data for Kia Soul EV using Torque Pro
, These are the 96 individual cell voltages
Name,ShortName,ModeAndPID,Equation,Min Value,Max Value,Units,Header
000_Cell Voltage 1,Cell 1,2102,e/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 2,Cell 2,2102,f/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 3,Cell 3,2102,g/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 4,Cell 4,2102,h/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 5,Cell 5,2102,i/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 6,Cell 6,2102,j/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 7,Cell 7,2102,k/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 8,Cell 8,2102,l/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 9,Cell 9,2102,m/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 10,Cell 10,2102,n/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 11,Cell 11,2102,o/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 12,Cell 12,2102,p/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 13,Cell 13,2102,q/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 14,Cell 14,2102,r/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 15,Cell 15,2102,s/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 16,Cell 16,2102,t/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 17,Cell 17,2102,u/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 18,Cell 18,2102,v/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 19,Cell 19,2102,w/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 20,Cell 20,2102,x/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 21,Cell 21,2102,y/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 22,Cell 22,2102,z/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 23,Cell 23,2102,aa/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 24,Cell 24,2102,ab/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 25,Cell 25,2102,ac/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 26,Cell 26,2102,ad/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 27,Cell 27,2102,ae/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 28,Cell 28,2102,af/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 29,Cell 29,2102,ag/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 30,Cell 30,2102,ah/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 31,Cell 31,2102,ai/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 32,Cell 32,2102,aj/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 33,Cell 33,2103,e/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 34,Cell 34,2103,f/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 35,Cell 35,2103,g/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 36,Cell 36,2103,h/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 37,Cell 37,2103,i/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 38,Cell 38,2103,j/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 39,Cell 39,2103,k/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 40,Cell 40,2103,l/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 41,Cell 41,2103,m/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 42,Cell 42,2103,n/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 43,Cell 43,2103,o/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 44,Cell 44,2103,p/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 45,Cell 45,2103,q/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 46,Cell 46,2103,r/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 47,Cell 47,2103,s/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 48,Cell 48,2103,t/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 49,Cell 49,2103,u/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 50,Cell 50,2103,v/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 51,Cell 51,2103,w/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 52,Cell 52,2103,x/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 53,Cell 53,2103,y/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 54,Cell 54,2103,z/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 55,Cell 55,2103,aa/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 56,Cell 56,2103,ab/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 57,Cell 57,2103,ac/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 58,Cell 58,2103,ad/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 59,Cell 59,2103,ae/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 60,Cell 60,2103,af/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 61,Cell 61,2103,ag/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 62,Cell 62,2103,ah/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 63,Cell 63,2103,ai/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 64,Cell 64,2103,aj/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 65,Cell 65,2104,e/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 66,Cell 66,2104,f/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 67,Cell 67,2104,g/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 68,Cell 68,2104,h/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 69,Cell 69,2104,i/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 70,Cell 70,2104,j/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 71,Cell 71,2104,k/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 72,Cell 72,2104,l/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 73,Cell 73,2104,m/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 74,Cell 74,2104,n/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 75,Cell 75,2104,o/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 76,Cell 76,2104,p/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 77,Cell 77,2104,q/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 78,Cell 78,2104,r/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 79,Cell 79,2104,s/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 80,Cell 80,2104,t/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 81,Cell 81,2104,u/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 82,Cell 82,2104,v/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 83,Cell 83,2104,w/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 84,Cell 84,2104,x/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 85,Cell 85,2104,y/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 86,Cell 86,2104,z/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 87,Cell 87,2104,aa/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 88,Cell 88,2104,ab/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 89,Cell 89,2104,ac/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 90,Cell 90,2104,ad/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 91,Cell 91,2104,ae/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 92,Cell 92,2104,af/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 93,Cell 93,2104,ag/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 94,Cell 94,2104,ah/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 95,Cell 95,2104,ai/50,0,5,V,7E4
000_Cell Voltage 96,Cell 96,2104,aj/50,0,5,V,7E4
 
-
Here's some images from the Service Manuals.

1a/ Soul EV battery without battery heater



1b/ Soul EV battery heater



2a/ I oniq EV battery without battery heater



2b/ I oniq EV battery heater



Translating from the Korean
1. High Voltage Battery Pack Assembly
2. Voltage Protection Device (VPD)
3. Busbar
4. Cell Monitoring Unit (CMU)
5. Voltage & Temperature Sensor Wiring Harness
6 High Voltage Battery Heater
7. High Voltage Battery Heater Temperature Sensor
 
The best looking battery pack schematic I've seen so far is this one for the Audi Q8 PHEV.
It's a Samsung SDI 17.9 kWh pack.
It seems Volkswagen and BMW are now both going with Samsung SDI, whereas Daimler is using SK Innovation

 
Some old YouTube videos of the Soul EV, with screen shots to show the battery layout.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jh97gZjjgWY



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtJ9GoYUPyU

 
-
The best info we have for researching battery data is the American Vehicle Testing Activity. It includes lab data which tells us the real stats of the battery. Some Auto-makers will only describe the total capacity, others will only describe the usable. All are prone to exaggeration. It's a shame there are not more cars in their facility. The list is here - https://avt.inl.gov/fuel-type/electric

I'm currently trying to understand the Kia Ray EV but don't have all the original stats. I do know that it is rated as 16.4kWh = 88cells * 3.75V * 50A , but don't know if that is total or usable capacity, or if the numbers match the reality.

So I am looking at a comparable car the M itsubishi i -MiEV . Some details from - https://cleantechnica.com/2016/01/06/a-tale-of-3-battery-packs/

The North American spec M itsubishi i -MiEV is composed of a 16kWh
under-the-seat pack in a non-metallic clamshell enclosure. Inside is 88
Lithium Manganese Oxide prismatic cells, 50aH and 3.75V each, configured
in series for a nominal pack voltage of 330V . . .


By looking at the Vehicle Specifications and Testing Results at the AVTA site we can see that the usable capacity is actually about 13.5kWh.
And from the Battery Pack Laboratory Testing Results we can see that the baseline total capacity is actually 14.8kWh and 44Ah

It is these actual values that I would use for making comparisons for deterioration on an older car. It is best of course to test against the same car, but when you buy a used car, you don't get the chance.
 
-
Here's some more photos of the inside of a Soul EV battery pack. Taken from a pack that was fully replaced, due to a single cell failing.
The car in Seattle - battery died due to 1 bad cell - wouldn't charge - they replaced the whole pack - cost 24,600USD.





Here's an annotated version of the picture above -



BMS is the Battery Management System.
PRA is the Power Relay Assembly - for details see the Hyundai patent for - ELECTRIC VEHICLE POWER RELAY ASSEMBLY
The 8 battery modules are numbered.
 
-
Here's some graphics showing the LG Chem 1.56kWh battery inside the Hyundai I oniq Hybrid.
Have looked at this recently because it shares the same BMS as our Hyundai / Kia EV's.
It is identical to the Kia N iro Hybrid.





There are 64 cells in series. Four modules each with 16 cells.



The 2016 version sold in Korea and Europe had a traditional 12V battery.



The latest version uses extra lithium ion cells to replace the 12V battery.
Labelled 10 in the photo below.





The cells used are rated 6,5A. Perhaps the actual cells used are these with a total 7.5A


--------------------------------------------------

Also see the thread - Comparing Hyundai / Kia Electric Vehicle Batteries

The graphic below is from a presentation by Jerome Gregeois at the Public workshop on Lead-Acid Batteries and Alternatives : Beyond the Car.
The meeting was organized by CalEPA on November 6, 2017, in Sacramento, California.
Ioniq HEV & Niro HEV presentation

 
.
The "Consolidated 12V battery" concept in the I oniq hybrid seems interesting. Maybe something similar Tesl a is aiming for in the Model Y. Any details about the implementation?
 
-
The I oniq Hybrids that are being tested with our BMS codes are both 2016 models which have a regular 12V battery.

There is an interesting article here about the removal of the traditional 12V battery. - How the Hyundai Ioniq Ditched Its Traditional 12V Lead-Acid Starter Battery

The two cars this applies to are the Hyundai I oniq Hybrid and the Kia N iro Hybrid.
The PHEVs and the EVs still have traditional 12V batteries.

These new hybrids have the ability to jump start themselves, but cannot be used to jump start another car!



And here is how the new 12V Lithium battery is laid out adjacent to the Lithium battery pack.

 
-
The 64kWh N iro EV battery layout is completely different from the current I oniq.
I do not think this new battery will ever fit into the I oniq.
In fact it looks much like the layout in our Soul EVs





From my comment on the previous page -

The battery pack is much further back in the I oniq. This is probably because the roof is so much lower, there is less space under the seats

 
-
Two interesting videos showing the disassembly of the B olt EV battery pack by Professor John D. Kelly at Weber State University (WSU).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3G8JGsEjPA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssU2mjiNi_Q

This is the sticker seen on the B olt EV battery from the first YouTube video above


In the second YouTube video above we see that the B olt's pack is made up of eight 5.94 kWh modules and two 4.75 kWh modules for a total capacity of 57.02 kWh. Presumably that means eight modules with ten cells and two modules with eight. Each of the 96 cells would have a capacity of 594Wh. We don't know if that number is total capacity or the usable capacity or even perhaps a nominal rating.

There has been discussion on this both at the N issan L eaf site and at the T esla site
http://mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=18907&start=1850#p519226
Chevy Bolt - 200 mile range for $30k base price (after incentive)

Previously on this thread I had noted -
1/ The 2017 B olt battery pack is 60 kWh and weighs 435kg -> Gravimetric Energy Density = 138 Wh/kg
2/ The I oniq EV battery pack is 31 kWh and weighs 271.8kg -> Gravimetric Energy Density = 114 Wh/kg

I have now realised why GM for the B olt has chosen a more energy dense battery cell than Hyundai. (or GM for the V olt)
From a comment by Jeff N on the T esla Forum
Jeff N said:
...it’s more about cell construction than cell chemistry. They optimized the thickness of the cathode, anode, and conductive copper and aluminum collector foils in the B olt cells to get the highest energy density whereas in the Volt they aimed to enable higher power capability.
The cell specifications, such as we know them from unofficial sources, are quite different. The B olt cells may be max 2C continuous discharge with a 10 second peak discharge rate of 3.5C whereas the Volt cells may have been rated for 10C continuous discharge. In return for that lower design power, B olt cells appear to be quite a bit more energy dense.
The cell chemistry in the B olt means the fast charging will be slower and taper earlier. But it has higher energy density = a bigger battery in the same space.

There's an interesting article by Jeff N here comparing the battery cells in the Jaguar I-Pace and the B olt EV . - Jaguar and Chevy have LG in common
Interesting to see that the Jaguar I-Pace also seems to have favoured a cell chemistry that allows greater power as opposed to the B olt EV that seems to favour greater energy density.

This battery cell is the one used in the Chevy B olt EV. - see Inside the factory building GM's game-changing Bolt EV

 
-
Here's some photos of the K ona EV I took at EVTrend Motor Show in Seoul last week. Plus a couple I found on the web.
The cutaway model on display is of the 64kWh version.











Edit - The numbers below are wrong - there are 294 cells not 288
Either I miscounted by 6, or there were 6 less cells on the top row of this cut-away model.

I counted the cells! There are 288. The cells are laid out 3 in parallel to form a 3 cell group, 96 groups in series.
Under the floor are 6 modules of 10 cell groups, under the back seat are 4 modules of 9 cell groups.
(6*10*3) + (4*9*3) = 288

The nominal voltage of each cell is 3.7V, the rated capacity of each cell is 60Ah
Thus the nominal capacity of the 64 version is 3.7*60*288 = 63.94kWh

I didn't see a 39.2kWh K ona EV on display. But I did see an image of its battery pack.
The 4 modules under the seat are empty.
Under the floor are 6 modules of 15 cell groups. But for this version the cells are laid out 2 in parallel to form cell pairs.
Hence this version has 180 cells.
For the math to work out the nominal voltage of each cell has to be 3.63V
I don't know why it is lower than the 3.7V of the 64kWh version.
3.63*60*180 =39.24kWh

The official specs are here - https://www.hyundai.com/kr/ko/vehicles/kona-electric/specifications
K ona Electric 복합 5.6km/kWh(도심 6.2km/kWh, 고속도로 5.0km/kWh) | CO2 배출량 0g/km | 축전지 정격전압(용량) : 356V(180Ah) | 공차중량 : 1,685kg | 1회 충전 주행 거리 - 복합 406km(도심 444km. 고속도로 359km)

K ona Electric_Lite 패키지 복합 5.8km/kWh(도심 6.5km/kWh, 고속도로 5.1km/kWh) | CO2 배출량 0g/km | 축전지 정격전압(용량) : 327V(120Ah) | 공차중량 : 1,540kg | 1회 충전 주행 거리 - 복합 254km(도심 282km. 고속도로 221km)
356V / 96 = 3.7V : 60Ah*3 = 180Ah
327 / 90 = 3.63V : 60Ah*2 = 120Ah
 
-
The N iro EV went on show at the 5th Jeju EV Expo -

https://youtu.be/A0bzYl-pF3g

The battery capacity is identical to the K ona EV, and also externally the battery pack case is identical to the K ona EV.

Both are the same size and shape, and have ridging showing the module layout.



Both have a cover under the front passenger seat to access the Power Relay Assembly.
Update - I looked more carefully, this is wrong.
The Power Relay Assembly is on the drivers side, so what is under the front passenger seat. Am guessing the BMS.




--------------------------------------------------

But it seems the two cars have different battery cells.
The K ona EV has NCM622 cells from LG Chem that are optimized more for power density.
The N iro EV has NCM811 cells from SK Innovation that are optimized more for energy density.

see - http://www.etnews.com/20180309000211
..The N iro EV is more of a family car - bigger more comfortable - but the acceleration output through the battery management system (BMS) control is relatively low ...
...
The K ona EV cells however allow higher-powered driving. Its body is also smaller, and its agility excellent, which is an advantage for sports driving...
...
In the end, it is analyzed that N iro EV is beneficial to achieve stable driving performance and K ona EV has advantages in higher-powered driving.

------------------------------------------------

Have found some images on the web, that are better than the ones I took.







 
-
Here's a photo of the N iro EV OBC / EPCU / Motor



There are more detailed photos here - New battery layout and motor components in Hyundai / Kia Electric Vehicles.

I can't see any inlet pipes for the liquid coolant. But they must be there, because according to this schematic the coolant does go through this system. And unlike our Soul EV the battery is liquid cooled and liquid heated.



Note that the battery section of this cooling loop can be separated from the motor section using the two 3-way valves. There are water pumps in both sections. The main cooling system at the front is for the OBC / EPCU / Motor. There is no heater needed for this section. There is a separate chiller and a heater in the battery section.
 
-
Here's some detail about the N iro EV battery pack.








Comparing with the Kona Electric battery -

N iro EV 64kWh has 98 cell triplets = 294 cells : 3 * 60Ah = 180Ahr : 98 * 3.6V = 352.8V
Kona Electric 64kWh has 98 cell triplets = 294 cells : 3 * 60Ah = 180Ahr : 98 * 3.63V = 356V

N iro EV 39.2kWh has 90 cell pairs = 180 cells : 2 * 60Ah = 120Ahr : 90 * 3.6V = 324V
Kona Electric 39.2kWh has 90 cell pairs = 180 cells : 2 * 60Ah = 120Ahr : 90 * 3.63V = 327V

-

Edit - The numbers for the 64kWh Kona were wrong - there are 294 cells not 288. I have corrected this.

Edit 2 - The numbers for the Niro EV 64kWh are from a 2018 Service Manual.
Current advertising (Nov 2020) shows the Niro EV 64kWh and Kona Electric 64kWh to be identical.
The cell voltage for all these cars should now be shown as 3.63V.
 
Lots of new details on the internal layout and liquid thermal management of Kia and Hyundia’s new generation of EVs including the Niro EV, the coming new-generation Soul EV as well as the Kona Electric:

IMG_0004.png


See for more details:
https://electricrevs.com/2018/12/20/exclusive-details-on-hyundais-new-battery-thermal-management-design/
 
-
The new 64kWh Soul EV is believed to be an identical SK Innovation pack as the 64kWh N iro EV.
The BMS (Battery Management System) for both have identical PID codes.
Both have the same access panel below the battery pack on the passenger side.

According to this article -Korean news article
The battery cost of a 64kWh Kia Soul EV is 1477만원 or about 12,500 USD.
The cost per kWh for the new Soul battery pack = 195USD
Cheaper than the B olt, but more expensive than the M odel 3

This can be compared to the cost of the battery in other comparable cars using figures from Monroe Associates.



The image is from a YouTube video by Sean Mitchell

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYZBCaOzjY8
 
Back
Top