OREANDA-NEWS. August 13, 2015. To celebrate the Soul EV’s highly anticipated arrival and sales commencement in Oregon, Kia Motors America (KMA) is proud to announce its title sponsorship of the 2015 Plug & Pinot celebration, kicking off with an evening reception Thursday, August 13, 5:30 pm – 8:30 pm at Jacobsen Salt Co. in downtown Portland.  As much a celebration of the Soul EV as it is a culinary festival, Plug & Pinot highlights Oregon’s easily accessible EV byways by promoting eco-tourism and the region’s highly respected wine country.  Tickets for the reception are just \\$15 (free to those who register for a Soul EV test drive/ride experience at plugandpinot.com) and include hors d’oeuvres and live soul music by Speaker Minds and Will West & The Friendly Strangers.  KMA will have six Soul EVs available to experience during the evening’s festivities, and guests are encouraged to interact with the onsite product specialists who can provide detailed information in a relaxed environment.

Oregon is one of five recently announced expansion states that will sell the 2016 Soul EV.  The state’s well-developed EV infrastructure, including its ever-expanding EV byways, along with high consumer demand for eco-friendly vehicles makes Oregon a natural next step in KMA’s progressive Soul EV roll-out strategy.  Eight Kia dealers1 have been certified to sell the Soul EV in Oregon, and all are conveniently located, including sites near centers of population such as Portland, Eugene, and Medford.  Each retail store is being equipped with two Level-2 chargers and four of the dealers will also be up-fitted with DC fast chargers, increasing Kia’s overall network of fast-charging stations.  As an added value, select Kia dealers will allow Soul EV owners to charge their electrified urban runabout at no cost2. The four new chargers added to Oregon’s current network of 813 DC fast chargers will increase fast-charger availability by 15 percent in the Portland metro area and five percent statewide.  Fast charging can power-up the Soul EV’s battery from empty to 80 percent in about 33 minutes, which will benefit those customers who are constantly on the go.

As with other markets around the country, Kia has partnered with Greenlots in the Pacific Northwest to offer flexibility and on-the-go access to large networks of charging stations. Through the Greenlots partnership, Soul EV owners will be provided a Kia “ChargeUp” CardTM, giving them access to multiple DC fast charger networks, making the Soul EV ownership experience refreshingly simple and charging easily accessible.

When it comes to locating charging stations, the Soul EV offers UVO EVServices4, Kia’s cutting-edge telematics system specifically tailored for the electric vehicle experience.  Available at no cost for the first five years of ownership, UVO EVServices utilizes an embedded connectivity solution powered by the Verizon wireless network5 and an integral smartphone app to provide Soul EV owners with an innovative, real-time, in-vehicle connectivity experience that includes navigation and a host of added convenience features.  Chargers may also be located using the PlugShare app or by visiting plugshare.com.

Offered in two trims, Base and + (Plus), the 2016 Soul EV MSRP will be \\$33,950 (not including federal tax rebate of \\$7,500) for the Base and \\$35,950 for the Plus (not including federal tax rebate of \\$7,500)6. With an introductory lease price of \\$249 per month, the Soul EV boasts best-in-class EPA-estimated range of 93 miles and MPGe4 of 92 miles on the highway and 120 miles in the city (105 miles combined). 

About the 2016 Soul EV
The 2015 Soul EV is Kia’s first ever all-electric, zero-emissions car to be sold in the U.S.  The Soul EV offers the fun and vibrant styling that customers have grown to love about the gasoline-powered model but with a number of interior and exterior enhancements that are unique to the EV.  The Soul EV earned an EPA estimated range rating of 93 miles7 when the 27kWh, 360v, 192-cell lithium-ion polymer battery is fully charged, and the regenerative braking system captures up to 12 percent of the Soul EV’s kinetic energy when coasting and braking to also help recharge the battery.  Soul EV owners can choose between four different regeneration modes:  “Drive” or “Brake” modes in Eco-mode “Off,” and “Drive” or “Brake” modes in Eco-mode “On” (the “Brake” setting with Eco-mode “On” produces the most regeneration).

The battery features a nickel-cobalt-manganese cathode, which helps increase capacity, and a graphite-based anode, which increases durability while reducing weight.  Additionally, the cells use a gel electrolyte, and each cell contains ceramic separators to improve thermal stability and safety.

The Soul EV makes charging easy by plugging into any standard 120v outlet or a conventional 240v EV charger.  Two charging ports are standard, including a SAE J1772 port for Level-1 and Level-2 AC charging, and a CHAdeMO 480v DC fast-charging port.  Found behind a sliding door located in the grille, the dual ports offer flexibility and increase the Soul EV’s go-anywhere appeal, making it more convenient to charge inside the owner’s garage or when on the road.

About Oregon Wine Country EV Byway and Plug & Pinot
The concept Oregon Wine Country Electric Vehicle (EV) Byway, and Plug & Pinot were both hatched in the winter of 2014 when a group of individuals within Oregon’s Wine Industry realized that there were a growing number of wine country businesses with EV infrastructure, but no network connecting those businesses. For the inaugural Plug and Pinot Event, the original five Oregon EV Byway Alliance teamed up with auto manufacturers to provide ride and drives of various EVs, and to generally bring attention to the fact that a full day trip through Oregon’s Wine Country is very much possible in an Electric Vehicle. The Oregon Wine Country EV Byway now extends from Gaston to Dundee, from Dayton to Salem, and all the way to the town of Elkton, nestled on the banks of the Umpqua River. Several of our members were among the first wineries to plant vines in the Willamette Valley over 40 years ago. In total, our alliance has membership in five AVAs and counting. The mission of our alliance continues to center on the idea of communicating to our customers about the tremendous accessibility of Oregon’s Wine Country for EV drivers, and to encourage our valued customers to consider more sustainable modes of transportation. We look forward to welcoming more and more members in to our network. Each year, The Oregon Wine Country EV Byway hosts an annual celebration known as “Plug & Pinot.” For more information on Plug & Pinot, check out www.plugandpinot.com. For more exciting EV Tourism opportunities, visit www.traveloregon.com.

About PlugShare
PlugShare is a leading EV software and services company that provides consumer and industry intelligence to support the adoption and growth of plug-in mobility with the most complete database of EV charging stations available. PlugShare has detailed location, technology and driver sentiment data for all of North America, including approximately 28,000 charging stations at 17,000 locations in the United States.  PlugShare powers driver navigation systems, mobile apps and plug-in electric vehicle charging payment programs for licensed automakers, charging networks and utilities. PlugShare Guide is the company’s plug-in vehicle consulting service for the EV industry, developing strategies, policies and plans for assessing, promoting, installing and managing EV infrastructure as well as strategies to accelerate EV adoption using the company’s rich market intelligence, proprietary research and analytical tools.  PlugInsights is the company’s research division, providing clients with custom, detailed reports of consumer insights and deep strategic analysis, based on the world’s largest online panel of EV drivers. The company is based in Venice, CA, with offices in Menlo Park, CA and Portland, OR. For more information about Recargo Inc. and the company’s product offerings, visit us at http://company.plugshare.com/.

About Kia Motors America
Kia Motors America (KMA) is the marketing and distribution arm of Kia Motors Corporation based in Seoul, South Korea.  KMA proudly serves as the "Official Automotive Partner" of the NBA and LPGA and set an all-time annual sales record in 2014, surpassing the 500,000 unit mark for the third consecutive year. KMA offers a complete line of vehicles, including the rear-drive K900** flagship sedan, Cadenza premium sedan, Sorento CUV, Soul urban passenger vehicle, Soul Electric Vehicle***, Sportage compact CUV, Optima midsize sedan, Optima Hybrid, the Forte compact sedan, Forte5 and Forte Koup, Rio and Rio 5-door subcompacts and the Sedona midsize multi-purpose vehicle, through a network of more than 765 dealers across the United States.  Kia’s U.S. manufacturing plant in West Point, Georgia, builds the Optima* and Sorento* and is responsible for the creation of more than 15,000 plant and supplier jobs.

Information about KMA and its full vehicle line-up is available at www.kia.com. For media information, including photography, visit www.kiamedia.com.  To receive custom email notifications for press releases the moment they are published, subscribe at www.kiamedia.com/us/en/newsalert.


# # #