A comprehensive winter testing programme is being carried for the Soul EV pure electric vehicle ahead of its launch in the second half of 2014, finalising development of the car and testing several innovative new drivetrain and on-board technologies. Engineers are subjecting the car to the most extreme sub-zero conditions that Soul EV owners are likely to experience during the colder months of the year.

The primary focus for the vehicle’s validation test in Swedish Lapland is the introduction of all-new Kia heating and ventilation technologies. These include a world-first driver-only ventilation system that improves the efficiency of the batteries and increases the vehicle’s overall driving range.

The bitter Scandinavian winter temperatures, which can get as low as -35°C, allow 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.