It’s incredible to think it’s been 10 years since Kia introduced its first electric vehicle – the EV Soul – a car that set the stage for the brand’s electrified future.

Back in 2014, the Soul EV was hitting showrooms as the film Frozen dominated the box office and the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge was all the rage. While the world was focused on these trends, the Soul EV quietly made its mark by offering a range of up to 132 miles on a single charge, powered by a 27kWh battery and a front-wheel-drive set-up with 285Nm of torque and 81kW of power.

With its practical, boxy shape and the same familiar proportions as its ICE-powered siblings, it introduced cutting-edge EV technology to the masses.

At the time, Kia’s entry into the electric vehicle market was cautious, with the Soul EV imported in limited numbers and only 13 specially trained dealers in the UK. By January 2015, that number had grown to 19.

The UK’s infrastructure was also far from ready, with only 5,222 public charging points across the country at the time, compared to more than 315,000 today. Despite these early challenges, the Soul EV proved itself as a well-thought-out and competitive electric vehicle, setting the stage for the rise of EVs in the UK. By 2018, Kia had sold almost 1,000 units of the Soul EV as electric car sales began to gain serious momentum.

Fast forward to 2019, and Kia launched the e-Niro on April 1st. Despite its April Fools’ Day release, the e-Niro was anything but a joke. Built on the same platform as the Niro Hybrid and Plug-in Hybrid, it carried forward a practical and familiar design while offering improved performance.

With a 64kWh battery and a 150kW motor producing 395Nm of torque, the e-Niro delivered a range of up to 282 miles on a single charge and offered a more engaging driving experience. It was an immediate success, with demand outstripping supply within just two weeks, and more than 7,000 units sold in 2019 and 2020.

It was in 2020 that Kia set ambitious targets, aiming to launch 11 electric vehicles globally by 2027. This goal was later revised to 15, with nine expected to be available in the UK.

However, it was 2021 that marked a true turning point for Kia, as the company introduced its first fully dedicated electric vehicle called the EV6. The EV6 was a bold new direction for the brand, featuring Kia’s new design philosophy called ‘Opposites United’. It was the first car to sport Kia’s redesigned logo and was also the first vehicle to be engineered from the ground up as an electric car, unlike the e-Niro and Soul EV, which were adapted from internal combustion models. The EV6’s striking design and innovative features quickly earned praise from media and customers alike.

With 577bhp and 740Nm of torque, the EV6 GT served as the spiritual successor to the Stinger; the brand’s original ‘grand tourer’. Flexing its ‘GT’ credentials, it became the first Korean car to compete in the famous 1000 Miglia in 2023, finishing the 1000 Miglia Green as the highest-ranking performance electric vehicle entered into the race.

The EV6 laid the foundation for Kia’s new EVx strategy, signalling the brand’s commitment to electrification and high-performance electric cars.

The journey continued with the launch of the EV9 in 2023, marking the brand’s largest EV to date. Built on the same E-GMP platform as the EV6, the EV9 entered the premium three-row SUV market, offering up to 349 miles of range and ultra-fast 800V charging. With a sub-£65,000 starting price, the EV9 quickly gained attention, particularly with its six- or seven-seat configurations.

Following the success of the EV9, Kia unveiled the EV3 in 2024. Smaller, more affordable, and with a longer range than any previous Kia model, the EV3 represents another giant leap forward for the brand, combining performance, practicality, and accessibility in a highly competitive segment.

To celebrate a decade of electric success, Kia invited us on a road trip from Biggin Hill in Kent to Lille in Northern France, where we had the opportunity to test the EV3, EV6, and EV9. While we had already driven all three models extensively, this journey allowed us to experience them in real-world conditions.

The cars handled everything with ease – from the smooth French highways to the winding country roads and narrow streets of Lille. With impressive range and efficiency, we didn’t have to worry about battery levels. And, of course, no trip to France would be complete without a visit to a hypermarket, where the practicality of these EVs truly shone through with perfectly-sized boots to store all the goodies.

As Kia sets its sights on reaching one million EV sales globally by 2026, the Soul EV, which started it all in 2014, is now taking its final bow. But there are exciting times ahead as Paul Philpott, President & CEO, Kia UK Limited, explained: “To mark a decade of EV sales in the UK is an achievement we’re proud of, and a landmark which very few other brands can celebrate just yet. Over the past 10 years, we haven’t only grown our EV model line-up significantly, but also demonstrated our dedication to innovation, quality and customer satisfaction.

“Looking forward to the next decade of our EVs, we are in good stead. We have a clear strategy to maintain our position as a global leader in electrification with a wider variety of EVs on the way to match a range of customer needs and desires.”

And the next 10 years promise to be even more exciting for Kia, with more groundbreaking electric vehicles on the horizon.