The Kia Soul is a small compact crossover with plenty of soul, and some fans have been excited about buying the latest EV version of the Soul. However, unfortunately for those fans, the Soul EV is officially dead in the U.S., and it won’t be available at a dealership near you. Here’s a look at why that happened and what Kia fans can do instead.

A look at the second generation of the Kia Soul EV

Obviously, since the Soul EV is the electric version of the Soul, Kia has made a habit of updating the two cars simultaneously. For example, the first generation of the Soul EV came about just after the second generation of the Soul. This first generation of the Soul EV was sold in a few states in the U.S., but it didn’t garner much sales or attention.

The regular Soul was redesigned in 2019, and the Soul EV was also redesigned in 2020. The second generation of the Soul EV was significantly better than the first, and in fact, it actually won a few awards. One of the main reasons the second generation was so great was because of what it offered. Its 64 kWh battery pack provided it with about 243 miles of range, and that’s more range than many of its competitors.

As far as price goes, the 2020 Soul EV would cost around the same price as the first generation. The 2020 Soul EV’s roughly $40,000 price tag would’ve made it an option for many families. If Kia didn’t cancel the Soul EV for America, Kia fans in the U.S. would’ve been able to get the perks of the Soul, but with the bonus features of an EV.

Why the Kia Soul EV was canceled for America

As Autoblog wrote, at first, Kia delayed sending the second generation of the Soul EV to the U.S. due to supply issues. 2020 wasn’t a great year for many people, and in Kia’s case, there were not enough batteries to go around. As such, Kia had to pick and choose, and they ultimately chose to delay the Soul EV until 2021.

That delay, however, soon became a total cancellation of the Soul EV, at least for America. According to Autoblog, it’ll still be available in other markets, but Kia decided to stop making any Soul EV models for the American market. The main reason why the Soul EV was discontinued for the U.S. was simple, and it’s actually related to why the second generation was delayed in the first place.

Kia thought that the Niro EV model was better, and as such, gave the Niro EV priority for batteries. With the Soul EV dead in the states, the Niro EV has no competition within the Kia brand, and the company can focus on competing with other automakers instead.

What Kia fans can do instead

Obviously, one of the main reasons people wanted the Soul EV was because it was a Soul but electrified. As such, some of those customers will be satisfied by just driving around in a regular Soul. After all, the Soul is still a pretty great car, though obviously, it may not be as good for the environment as the Soul EV would’ve been.

However, if an EV is a must, then Kia’s made that decision for you. The Soul EV died in the U.S. so Kia could focus on the Niro EV. Like many Kia models, the Niro EV has received a lot of praise, so it’s a worthy choice no matter what.