No more Kia Soul EV for Canada, apparently

[MassDeduction]

According to https://mobile.guideautoweb.com/en/...-soul-ev-another-small-electric-car-bows-out/, the Kia Soul EV is no longer for Canada after 2023.

I spoke to my local dealership, and they not only confirmed the news they said they weren't going to be getting enough to even fulfill all their pre-orders.

What a weird decision. The Soul EV seemed uniquely popular in Canada, selling nearly 1:1 with the Niro EV the last time I saw a statistic broken out for Canada. And not even a final production run for all the pre-orders?!

 

[CanadianLurker]

According to https://mobile.guideautoweb.com/en/...-soul-ev-another-small-electric-car-bows-out/, the Kia Soul EV is no longer for Canada after 2023.

I spoke to my local dealership, and they not only confirmed the news they said they weren't going to be getting enough to even fulfill all their pre-orders.

What a weird decision. The Soul EV seemed uniquely popular in Canada, selling nearly 1:1 with the Niro EV the last time I saw a statistic broken out for Canada. And not even a final production run for all the pre-orders?!

Sad, but not really surprised. Soul EV is a “compromise” EV given that it’s based on an ICE chassis and structure. Kia has matured past this stage and now have dedicated EV platforms that were developed from the start to be an EV platform.

Hopefully, the next generation Soul drops ICE and is changed to an EV platform to be an EV only model. It’s really a fairly unique size/shape/design which makes it both practical and fun without all the compromises that usually come from having to choose between a sedan or a compact utility vehicle - it’s kind of a good blend of both worlds IMHO.

 

[IanL]

Actually, I understand that the Soul was designed originally to be suitable for ICE and BEV use. As far as I can see, the only disadvantage the EV has is no dedicated space for a spare wheel (the site is used for the battery cooling fan). I consider this is a big drawback - I've had two tyres shredded beyond the capability of the sealant to get me going again. Fortunately, I carry a spacesaver spare (from an ICE Soul) instead of the stowage tray under the trunk floor.

However, manufacturers don't want to fit EVs with spares, as they prefer to get the weight down, - it helps the range, which is a big selling point.

 

[ksoul2084]

Here's a report of one of their new models that seems to be slotting into the space the Soul used to hold:

https://electrek.co/2023/09/19/kia-ev4-spotted-testing-us-electric-soul-replacement/