Lack of rapid charge points will put brakes on EV sales

Public awareness of electric vehicles (EV) is gathering pace by the day and many car makers are coming to the market with their own versions of what they think will make a difference.

Kia launched the e-Soul a few months ago and while the old fossil-fuelled versions were never going to be massive sellers, the latest version may just struggle for a while to catch on with Irish buyers.

This week’s test car, the e-Soul K3 Long Range is driven by a 64Kw battery with an advertised range of 452 kilometres on a full charge. Like all EVs, it depends entirely on how you drive it. A heavy right foot and the use of electric functions have a negative effect on that range. Motorway driving at legal speeds will not give you anything like that range either.

However, with a lighter touch, this car is quite capable of returning around 350 kilometres with ease. Journey planning and astute control makes it one of the best around for scope, despite the woeful lack of infrastructure in Ireland.

Take Galway as an example. For now, there is only two rapid charging points in the whole county. Those are at the Newcastle filling station in Galway City and Centra in Carnmore. It should take about 40 minutes to recharge the e-Soul at such a station but, on the one occasion that I tried to use the one in Newcastle, it was occupied.

Apart from that, you are restricted to slow charges that will take a number of hours to recharge the car. These are dotted around the county in public areas and car parks with a few more that are on private properties – available only during business hours. Honestly, the lack of sufficient chargers in the county is diabolical.

To look at the e-Soul carries the same peculiar shape as the original with its upright stance, a high roof line and loads of interior space for five full-sized adults.

Blended with a simple layout and a considerable list of technology, the e-Soul wants for nothing for the modern motorist. A full leather interior is standard with privacy glass, Android Auto and Apply CarPlay, satellite navigation, heads-up display, a 10.25” touch screen and a host of internal driver aids and parking sensors all thrown into the mix.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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