Kia Soul Will Only Be Sold In Electric Form In European Markets

The popularity of the all-electric model has resulted in Kia deciding to kill off all internal combustion-powered variants of the Soul in Europe.

Electrive reports that, last year, sales of the Soul in Europe hit 12,100 units, of which 5,400 were for the Soul EV. This impressive uptake of electric versions has prompted the automaker to make it the only powertrain option, with the turbocharged Final Edition marking the ICE’s passing.

Uptake for the Soul EV remains strong this year and in Germany, 1,899 of the 2,245 Soul models sold have been electric. Inside EVs asserts that most of the Soul EVs sold in 2017 were exported as used cars to Norway to lower the marque’s average emissions in the European Union.

Another promising thing for Kia is that the current Soul continues to sell well even though its life is coming to an end. In fact, a next-generation model is just around the corner and promises to arrive with a new look and, most importantly, serious changes under the skin. As a matter of fact, it is reported that the current 30 kWh battery pack will be swapped out for one with 39.2 kWh and an optional 64 kWh that’ll top out the range.

In the United States, the Kia Soul EV remains a small player in the market. In fact, just over 100 examples have been sold in 2018.