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Kia Soul EV fitted with wireless charging

As the industry continues to build out electric vehicle charging infrastructure, parallel projects are working to improve it as quickly as it's deployed. Now we're seeing some groups launching fast charging stations capable of 350-kW, and more. Meanwhile, wireless charging is making advances, which would allow drivers to simply park and charge without fussing with a cable. Kia is the latest to test inductive charging, and has announced that it has deployed a fleet of Soul EVs capable of recharging wirelessly. The three-year project — a partnership between the Hyundai-Kia America Technical Center, wireless charging company Mojo Mobility and the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) — culminated in the system being equipped to five vehicles and tested in real-world environments. The system uses electromagnetic fields transmitted between a transmitter coil on the ground and a receiver on the bottom of the car to transfer energy. It can charge at over 10 kW, with 85 percent grid-to-vehicle efficiency. Kia adds that because the system is so efficient, it can still charge even if there is some misalignment between the two coils. That means an imperfect parking job doesn't mean the car won't charge. Other automakers are also testing wireless charging, and BMW plans to offer it on a limited basis in the U.S. for its 530e plug-in hybrid. Kia is not making any promises to customers yet, though. "There is no current plan to offer the wireless charging system on production vehicles for sale to consumers," Kia stated in its press release, "however, the success of this development project suggests similar systems are possible on future Kia electric vehicles." Wireless charging could play well with other technology for Kia. For instance, it would be a boon for autonomous efforts, which the Korean automaker has begun undertaking with the testing of self-driving Soul EVs in Nevada. Wireless charging means an autonomous Kia could not only drive and park itself, but also take care of its own charging duties. Related Video: Related Gallery Kia Soul EV Autonomous Testing in Nevada News Source: Kia Green Kia Technology Emerging Technologies Hatchback Electric doe wireless charging inductive charging eere

LeBron James ad claims $10M fan bet proving he drives K900

As one of the nation's most famous and top paid professional athletes, LeBron James' Kia K900 sponsorship has always left us suspicious to its sincerity. The basketball player could buy any other vehicle in the world but claimed to be a fan of Kia's rear-wheel drive sedan even before he signed up as the brand's pitchman. While no weirder than many other NBA auto ads, the idea is still hard to believe. The company now wants to challenge the cynics with a three-commercial campaign called The Truth that stars King James responding to actual tweets about him driving the K900. The first commercial titled Ten Mil (above) starts with James checking Twitter and finding a skeptic that bets $10 million that the player doesn't drive the K900 to games. Since that's not the case, James confirms that a wager on social media is a binding contract and hops in the Kia with an armored car following him to go pick up the cash. However, the spot misses the mark slightly because we still only have James' word that he really takes the Kia to games Once the spots start airing, you can bet Cleveland fans start keeping an eye on how the player arrives to Quicken Loans Arena. It better be in the K900 for this campaign to work. LEBRON JAMES TELLS "THE TRUTH" ABOUT DRIVING HIS KIA K900 LUXURY SEDAN 11-Time NBA All-Star Responds To Real Tweets in New Ad Campaign First of three spots from "The Truth" campaign will begin airing on TV tonight and can be viewed at Kia.com and YouTube.com/Kia Multiplatform campaign will run through the remainder of basketball season and includes television, digital and social media elements IRVINE, Calif., December 3, 2015 – Last year, when LeBron James Tweeted "Rolling around in my K900. Love this car!!" and later stated he was a K900 driver before becoming Kia Motors' luxury ambassador, naysayers took to social media to question the validity of his claims. Now, with sales of Kia's rear-drive luxury sedan up considerably over 2014 levels, the 11-time NBA All-Star and avid car collector is tackling that skepticism head-on to prove the K900 is in fact "Fit For A King" in a new ad campaign from Kia Motors America (KMA).

Next-generation Kia Soul spied with old box shape, new split headlights

The current Kia Soul has been around since the 2014 model year, and Kia has kept the little box fresh with the introductions of electric and turbocharged variants, the latter of which appeared for the 2017 model year. But based on these spy shots, Kia is preparing a more thorough redesign of the hatchback/quasi-crossover. Though Kia has covered the front and rear of the new Soul carefully, the middle section gives it away as the favored transportation of anthropomorphic hamsters. Also, while there are indications there will be significant design changes, the basic formula won't change. It will still have a really thick D-pillar, darkened A-pillar and a roof that gets thinner toward the front. The roof itself also looks a bit taller, although perhaps its just the rear windows that have gotten smaller. It appears the front fascia and windshield will also retain a similar amount of rake to the current models to prevent it from looking overly boxy. The front end, as camouflaged as it is, also reveals a major lighting change. Instead of the very large headlamps of the last two generations, the forward lighting will be split in two, and the primary illumination looks to be coming from the lower elements. This design follows in the footsteps of Hyundai's Kona and upcoming Santa Fe, as well as the Nissan Juke and previous Jeep Cherokee. The upper elements also look as though they sit lower in the fascia than on past models, perhaps to give the new Soul a more aggressive look. The back is also thoroughly covered up, but we can tell that the high-mounted taillights in the D-pillars will continue. It also looks like they wrap around the bottom of the rear glass this time. This is the first time we've seen the new Soul, and Kia hasn't said much about its plans for the car. We expect that it will continue to offer at least one naturally aspirated engine, if not two as it does currently, and a peppier turbo model. We would also suspect that all-wheel drive will be on the table to better compete with sub-compact SUVs like the Jeep Renegade and Honda HR-V, which have virtually the same body style as the tall, boxy Soul. Many already consider them rivals and Kia has even hinted at the possibility with its Trail'ster concept. We'll be keeping an ear to the ground, and an eye on the rear ends of Souls, to learn more in the future. Related Video: Featured Gallery Kia Soul spy shots View 11 Photos Image Credit: Brian Williams Spy Photos Kia Crossover Hatchback Economy Cars