Kia Motors expands Soul EV availability to ten American states
Following the launch of the Soul EV late last year in California, along with sales beginning in Georgia, Texas, Oregon, Washington and Hawaii earlier this year, Kia Motors America (KMA) is expanding availability of its fully charged Soul into four new states: New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Maryland. KMA’s announcement will bring the total number of states selling the Soul EV to ten.

When it first went on sale, the Kia Soul EV electric car was only available at select dealers in California.

But Kia later followed up on a promise to expand sales when it determined that there was significant interest.

Earlier this year, Kia announced the expansion of sales to Oregon, Washington, Georgia, Texas, and Hawaii.

DON'T MISS: 2016 Kia Soul EV To Go On Sale In Oregon, Washington; Some Dealers Get DC Quick Charging

Now, it's adding four more states in a region of the country fairly removed from any of the current Soul EV markets.

The Soul EV will be offered at certain dealerships in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Maryland beginning in the fourth quarter, Kia says.

That brings the number of states where the electric tall wagon is sold to 10.

2016 Kia Soul EV

Just 19 dealers across the four new states will be authorized to sell the Soul EV, and they will install charging stations at each dealership for customers to use.

These include eight New York locations, six in New Jersey, three in Maryland, and two in Connecticut.

ALSO SEE: 2015 Kia Soul EV: First Drive Of Newest Electric Car (Nov 2014)

As with the previous, five-state expansion, new markets for the Soul EV were determined based on perceived consumer interest and assessment of available charging infrastructure.

And while it has taken Kia longer to get there, sales plans for the Soul EV now appear similar to the limited-market strategies other manufacturers have taken when launching their electric cars.

Both the Mercedes-Benz B-Class Electric Drive and Volkswagen e-Golf are offered in only 10 states each, with some overlap with the states targeted by Kia.

2016 Kia Soul EV

The 2016 Chevrolet Volt will also launch in just a handful of states, including California and--potentially--some Northeastern states.

The Volt will get a shortened 2016 model year, followed by a nationwide roll out for 2017.

MORE: You Shouldn't Want To Buy A Kia Soul EV, Says Kia Dealer

However, it's likely the Kia Soul EV will remain a lower-volume product.

While consumer interest and the necessary infrastructure remains concentrated in certain areas of the country, Kia and other manufacturers may continue with this approach.

[hat tip: Brian Henderson]

_______________________________________________

Follow GreenCarReports on Facebook and Twitter