Adrian Hilton drives a KIA Soul EV 64kWh 2021 electric car.
This is Adrian’s second electric car, he’s owned the KIA Soul EV from new and drives 10,000-15,000 miles annually. The current mileage of the car is between 10,000-20,000 miles and he achieves 285 miles range from a full charge.
Why did you choose the KIA Soul?
Offers best space for our family with 3 of us 6ft+, good value for money & got a good trade-in deal. The vehicle is well equipped with heated seats & heated steering wheel. A good sound system too. Efficient heating and cooling using a heat pump and a very reasonable overall usable range. Sufficiently comfortable to travel longer distances and sensibly priced as we were able to take advantage of the Government subsidy. The dealer also supplied our previous vehicle (a Renault Zoe) and deals with both Renault & Kia, so offered the best deal.
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Positives – List 3 or more reasons why you love this electric car
- Good space for taller adults
- decent range
- well specc’d.
Negatives – List 3 or more things that you really don’t like about this electric car
- Boot space is a little limited but generally adequate; no other negatives to speak of.
Have you experienced any faults with the car? If so, what have they been?
Minor problem with the head unit (display and entertainment) software but this was rectified by the dealer with a software update.
What are the standout technological features of the car?
- Good range
- Harman Kardon sound system providing a very acceptable sound quality
- heat pump which uses little energy once the ‘set-point’ is reached
- physical buttons to access the key settings (I hate touch screens & voice commands to set destination on the sat nav, not always perfect or easy but manageable).
Surprise us! Tell us something people wouldn’t readily know about this electric car
Styling is a little quirky which my partner loves.
What electric car(s) are you interested in next and why?
Possible an Audi Q4 e-tron or Mercedes EQB but both are really too expensive. Both vehicles offer good interior space though.
Home charging unit – outline both positive & negative elements
Basic Chargemaster unit that just works reliably.
Electricity supplier – outline both positive & negative elements
EDF Economy 7 tariff – may not be the cheapest but is reasonably priced and EDF is a fairly ‘green’ supplier with local offshore wind farms and solar installation.
What public charging networks would you recommend to others and why?
We use the ‘Bonnet EV Charging network’ as they allow flexibility over the charge point operators and offer a fixed price and preferential tariff. Preferred CPOs are Osprey, Fastned (high speed chargers), bp pulse and Gridserve (again high speed chargers).
Insurer – outline both positive & negative elements
LV has a preferential EV insurance rate, they understands EVs and provide emergency charging cover if stranded.
Please itemise where you’re saving money owning & running a KIA Soul
- Energy costs are currently approx. 30-40% cheaper than running a petrol or diesel vehicle
- servicing is cheaper and less frequent
- zero road tax
- far less complicated drivetrain so minimal likelihood of failure
- better trade-in value
- with the majority of charging being done at home, fuel costs are approx. £50/month rather than £200+ I would be spending on diesel
- average depreciation on a diesel was £3,000-£3,500/annum so perhaps £250/month
- depreciation on our previous EV was £140/month.
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