Kia Motors Hands Over Soul EV To Andhra Pradesh Government

In a bid to contribute to the Indian government's electric mobility initiative, Kia Motors India handed over the Soul EV to the Andhra Pradesh government at the automaker's trial production ceremony at the new Anantapur facility in Andhra Pradesh. The new Kia Soul EV joins the Niro EVs that were handed over to the state government previously in a bid to develop the local infrastructure for electric vehicles.

The Kia Soul EV now comes with a more powerful motor and a range of 450 km on a single charge

The Kia Soul EV is based on the Soul hatchback that is on sale in several developed markets. The power figures are nearly double than that of the older version on sale on the model and Kia estimates a driving range of 450 km for the Soul EV. Kia has now fitted the Soul EV with a liquid-cooled lithium-ion polymer 64kWh battery. The new electric motor produces 198 bhp and 395 Nm of peak torque.

Also Read: Kia Commences Trial Production Run In India 

The handover of the Soul EV is part of Kia's ACE strategy that includes producing autonomous, connected and electric cars. The automaker plans to offer 16 electric vehicles in India by 2025.

The Kia Soul EV produces 198 bhp

Meanwhile, Kia India will commence operations in the country with the SP2i SUV that is set to be launched later this year. The trial production for the new SUV commenced at the Anantapur plant today, which has a capacity of 300,000 units annually. The new plant will also produce a host and sedan for India in the coming years and is capable of manufacturing electric vehicles. The Kia SP2i will take on the likes of Hyundai Creta, Jeep Compass, Tata Harrier and the Nissan Kicks.