Kia’s new e-Soul has changed my views about the future of electric cars. The range capacity of the car has persuaded me that we should ditch any thoughts of hybrids or re-conversion back to petrol. I’m becoming more convinced that Irish rural drivers need just two options, either electric or diesel; the former for economy and the latter for towing power.

The performance of the Kia e-Soul has been the reason for my conversion. I’ve had the e-Soul on the road in recent weeks and it’s truly a game-changer in terms of modern-day motoring. With a range capacity of over 450km in real-life driving, electric motoring is at last making some sense. To say that I’m impressed is an understatement.

Gone is the range fear; most people will rarely drive over 450km in a single day. That means the thousands of single passenger cars without trailers attached can be more efficient, more economical, low-cost and environmentally clean.

I was truly surprised at the range available. My first drive started in Dublin with a few local calls, followed by a trip to Portlaoise and then on to Rooskey on the Leitrim border.

A good portion of my driving was on national roads, where the speed limit is now 100km/hr. On these roads, the performance of the e-Soul in Eco driving mode was very acceptable at the legal limit.

When I checked in at Rooskey I still had almost 240km range left in the car’s battery system. I headed off to Leitrim village and checked in at Electric Bike Trails to test drive an electric bike that neatly fitted into the boot.

Fast charging

Over the next few days, with regular shorter runs and overnight charging from a regular three-pin socket, the range rarely dipped under 300km. Overnight charging from the regular domestic socket takes longer, averaging about 10km of range per hour of charging. My purpose-built charger back at home was faster and an over-night charge soon returned the car’s battery system to full 452km range on my return to Kia.

Occasional fast-charging with a public roadside charger is still free and tops the system up if needed, but it doesn’t create a dependence. That’s what makes the e-Soul so much more desirable than any other electric car that I’ve driven before.

Overall, I clocked almost 700km after a week behind the wheel and the car’s automatic system gave me a 98% efficiency rating . This was a result of using Eco driving mode and the adoption of a more relaxed and less urgent driving style.

The car will be at its most efficient when you apply the regenerative braking system with single pedal driving. This means that taking your foot off the accelerator instantly deploys the brakes, and converts that into more battery power.

I’ve learnt that electric cars can offer a practical motoring solution for rural drivers. Add the ability to install photovoltaic panels in rural houses and sheds and your motoring future could be truly cost neutral. This is no longer a dream it is a reality in 2019, as Nissan proved during the recent launch of their new charging systems.

One of the things I liked about the Kia e-Soul is that it is a lively car to drive. Pop it into Sport mode and you can feel the performance difference. The car feels comfortable and solid on the road with good seating and a slightly higher driving position that I enjoyed.

The car also retains what I would call its ‘normal car’ image. I believe that electric cars should look no different than other cars, unless they really need to.

The e-Soul is impressive on the inside too. There is a large 10.25 inch display screen in the middle of the dash that’s clear and easy to use. I plugged in my mobile phone through the USB connection and I had Apple CarPlay on with no issues.

There’s a secondary information cluster between the dials behind the steering wheel to give more economy and driving information. Other controls including an impressive host of driver safety features, are easily at hand.

Not everyone will like the appearance of the e-Soul, but it’s practical and easy to drive. The boot space is not compromised by the battery system under the floor of the car and the seats fold well for the bigger loads. However, there is no spare wheel, even though there is plenty of room for one.

The crux with the Kia e-Soul is still the high price. Entry prices start at €35,995 or an even more expensive £37,295 in N. Ireland, after all government incentives. That’s still a €6,000 higher price than Kia’s entry level Sportage with its lively and economical 1.6 litre turbo-diesel engine.

The remarkable thing about the current electric car incentives is that they favour those with money rather than need. A new thought process on government support is needed, but what’s needed even faster and will be more measureable is more roadside charging units that work. That should be the real target to get electric car ownership into action, but with the range of the new Kia e-Soul, charging becomes less of an obsession.