2016 Kia Soul EV To Go On Sale In Oregon, Washington; Some Dealers Get DC Quick Charging2016 Kia Soul EV To Go On Sale In Oregon, Washington; Some Dealers Get DC Quick Charging

The rollout of the well-received Kia Soul EV electric car is now continuing in states outside California.
The electric tall wagon went on sale in the Golden State late last year, and an unexpectedly positive response led Kia to accelerate its plans to sell the plug-in vehicle in other states.
Oregon and Washington will be the next two states to get the Soul EV, Kia says.
DON’T MISS: 2015 Kia Soul EV: First Drive Of Newest Electric Car (Nov 2014)
It will certify a total of 20 dealers in the two Pacific Northwest states to sell the electric car, and add DC fast-charging stations to support it.
Back in April, Kia announced that Oregon and Washington would be two of five new markets for the Soul EV, along with Georgia, Texas, and Hawaii.
The start of sales in Oregon and Washington is slightly behind the previously-discussed June date.
2016 Kia Soul EV
As in California–where it’s sold at just 17 dealers–the Soul EV will likely remain a low-volume model not available in all regions of a given state.
All of the new dealerships to sell the Soul EV–eight in Oregon and 12 in Washington–will also be required to install 240-volt AC Level 2 charging stations, and offer free charging to customers.
Kia will also install new DC fast-charging sites at 10 Soul EV dealers in the two states.
ALSO SEE: Electric-Car Incentive Considered In Oregon: $3,000 “Cash On The Hood”
Six will be installed in Washington–which already has 41 fast-charging sites–and four will be built in Oregon, augmenting an existing network of 81 sites.
Soul EV drivers can gain access to these stations–which can recharge the electric Kia’s battery pack to 80 percent capacity in 33 minutes–using a ChargeUp Card backed by Greenlots.
Kia provides that card to Soul EV buyers in all three states.
2016 Kia Soul EV
Kia was motivated to expand sales of the Soul EV by what it says are unexpectedly high sales in California, although it still refuses to release actual monthly sales data.
Individual states were chosen based on their perceived public enthusiasm for electric cars, as well as the extent of current charging infrastructure.
MORE: Washington State Loves Electric Cars, But Gets Very Few: Here’s Why
Both Oregon and Washington offer incentives of various sorts for new electric-car purchases.
Electric-car advocates in Oregon are hoping to get their state legislature to pass a plug-in vehicle purchase rebate.
The two states also host sections of the West Coast Electric Highway–a network of fast-charging stations meant to create a route from California to the Canadian border.
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