Kia pioneers energy-saving ventilation systems for Soul EV

The bitter Scandinavian winter temperatures, which can get as low as -35°C, allowed Kia's engineers to rigorously test the performance of the new heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) technologies, as well as other electrical systems and the EV powertrain of the new Soul EV.

During the development of the Soul EV, Kia engineers identified the need to dramatically reduce energy consumption of the HVAC systems - as maximum use of HVAC under extreme cold conditions could potentially reduce an EV's effective range by up to 50 percent.

To prevent this, Kia engineers implemented four new HVAC technologies designed to reduce energy usage in the Soul EV - including the usage of a new highly efficient heat pump, smart air induction control, driver-only ventilation and scheduled ventilation.

The new heat pump harnesses waste heat given off by the air-conditioning and electrical components to efficiently heat up the cabin. Recycling the waste heat increases the efficiency of the heating and ventilation systems, thus minimising electricity consumption from the battery.

Working in conjunction with the heat pump, a new smart air intake control system monitors and controls the amount of air entering and exiting the vehicle, along with humidity levels in the cabin. The air intake control recycles the air that has already been heated or cooled by the HVAC system, then carefully introduces the optimum amount of fresh air to the cabin.

Also, the Soul EV is fitted with a new individual ventilation system that provides ventilation and heating to the driver. This completely shuts off heating and ventilation to the footwell and dashboard ventilation on the passenger side - in contrast to existing vehicles, where closing the vents merely diverts the air flow to other vents in the car while energy consumption remains the same.

A first in a Kia vehicle, the Soul EV is equipped with a new pre-conditioning or scheduled ventilation system. Accessing the car's heating system through the car's HMI interface, users can schedule their vehicle to pre-heat or pre-cool the cabin 30 minutes before they start the car. The system works while the car is plugged in and reduces load on the battery as the cabin is cooled or heated using power from the electric grid.

The Soul EV will be Kia's first globally sold EV and is powered by a 81.4kW (109.2bhp) electric motor, producing 285Nm of torque with a high-capacity 27kWh lithium-ion polymer battery pack located beneath the cabin.