cars news 10: 2015 Kia Soul EV + Long-Term Update 3

I found myself behind the wheel of the long-term Kia Soul EV for a weekend and was pleasantly surprised at how good it is as a city car. Plenty of space for your gear or people and an EPA-estimated range of 93 miles made it a great electrified urban runabout. What really stood out was the car’s regenerative braking system, which lets you recharge the batteries as you slow down. On L.A.’s congested freeways, you can crawl around thanks to the regenerative brakes.

When you look in an EV’s gear shifter, after you select “D” for drive, there’s another choice labeled “B.” This is the ultra-aggressive mode for the regenerative braking system, and using it can help preserve your charge. On the three days I had the Soul EV, the car never left “B” mode because it enabled me to give its energy regeneration a slight boost. Additionally, the car slows down more aggressively, which helps you react quicker to emergency stops.

At first, I found the regenerative braking system a little unnerving because I didn’t expect the car to slow down so quickly the moment I took my foot off the accelerator. Over time, though, I learned to gradually ease off and slow down without needing to hit the brake pedal unless it was an emergency stop. As a plus, stopping gradually this way keeps your battery from draining too quickly. And when you’re going downhill, you can even pick up a little bit of range.

In traffic, regenerative braking becomes a boon. During the weekend I had the Soul EV, I ran into heavy traffic going to Chinatown and heading back home, and during both drives, I essentially drove the car using a single pedal. As a result, I was able to preserve the car’s range and didn’t need to charge it until Saturday afternoon.

Although it might seem scary at first to drive a car in heavy traffic while barely touching the brake pedal, learning to take advantage of regenerative brakes in an EV is beneficial. Not only will you be able to preserve the car’s range, but your brake pads will last longer, too.

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