(March 26, 2015) IRVINE, Calif. — Following the successful launch of the Soul EV late last year in California, Kia Motors America has announced it is expanding availability of its fully charged urban runabout into five new states: Georgia, Texas, Oregon, Washington and Hawaii. 

Kia says electric vehicle demand has been growing in these states, and consumers there have expressed significant interest in Soul EV. And with more than 1,8001 charging stations combined, the robust EV infrastructure within these markets makes battery-powered travel convenient and an increasingly appealing choice for consumers. 

Within each state, select Kia retailers will be certified to sell and service the Soul EV, and customers will have access to charging stations installed at these facilities.  The Soul EV-authorized Kia dealership locations will be announced closer to the Soul EV's on-sale date in the expansion states later this year.  Additional markets are set to come online in 2016.

"From the inception of the Soul EV program, Kia's sales strategy has been progressive and pragmatic," said Orth Hedrick, vice president of product planning, KMA.  "With the level of demand and supporting infrastructure in the state, California was a natural place to start, but we've been carefully studying other markets.  Between consumer reaction to the Soul EV and growing infrastructure programs in these five states, this is a logical — and exciting — next step in our rollout plan."

Kia has called Georgia home since the late-2006 groundbreaking for the $1-billion Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia assembly plant in West Point, and it's where the second phase of the Soul EV's expansion will kick off. 

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Sales are set to begin during the second quarter in the "Peach State," and Soul EV owners will easily be able to locate the 284 charging stations statewide using the standard UVO EV Services telematics system.  Available at no cost for the first five years of ownership, UVO EV Services utilizes an embedded connectivity solution powered by the Verizon network 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.

Following the Soul EV's expansion into Georgia, four other states — Hawaii, Oregon, Washington and Texas — are expected to come online in June, and KMA continues to investigate the possibility of offering the Soul EV in other states as well.