Alternative Energy
Kia Motors' Soul EV has been selected as a city-oriented alternative energy model by French journalists.
According to Kia Motors on June 14, the Soul EV has won the Prix Auto Environment MAAF 2015 Award in the category of “Alternative Energy City Car.”
The Prix Auto Environment MAAF awards, which were established in 2005, are chosen by a jury of automotive and environmental journalists.
Kia Motors explained in a statement that the Soul EV is favorably reviewed due to having the best mileage among cars in the same league under the European standard, which amounts to 212 km. Its sophisticated design and excellent space utilization are considered to be other factors.
The model was also chosen as the best car for 2015 by Dinside, the largest consumer information service providing organization in Norway. In addition, it was the winner of the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC) TestFest 2015 Canadian Car of the Year in the City Car category. On top of that, the car has won this year's Red Dot Design Award thanks to its excellent design.
The Soul EV, which was released last year, is the most popular model among electric cars in the country. It accounted for 42 percent – the largest proportion – of the total of 1,801 cars that were selected in this year's project to help people buy more electric vehicles in 9 areas, including Jeju Island.