Kia Soul EV confirmed for production

The Kia Soul EV has been spied testing several times since the conventionally powered car debuted in March, however Kia has declined to publicly confirm the all-electric version's existence until now.

Kia says the Soul is one of its best selling model lines, and a zero-emission, all-electric version of the car is a natural extension of the range.

“Eco-consciousness already comes standard on the Soul with 85 per cent of its materials able to be recycled at the end of its lifespan, and the Soul EV will further demonstrate Kia's engineering capabilities as well as our commitment to producing vehicles with reduced environmental footprints,” Kia executive director of product planning Orth Hedrick said.

Kia is yet to release powertrain and range specifications for the Soul EV, however it says official details will be released at the car's official unveiling “at an upcoming major US auto show”, possibly at Los Angeles in late November.

Previous rumours have suggested the Soul EV will be powered by a lithium-ion battery with a range of approximately 200km, and be capable of dispatching 0-100km/h in less than 12 seconds on its way to a limited top speed of 140km/h.

There is no word as to whether the Kia Soul EV will be sold in Australia, however conventionally powered versions of the second-generation Soul will make their way here in the first half of 2014.