SEMA: Kia Soul EV ice cream van
Forget horsepower, Kia tempts show goers with good old-fashioned sweet treatsThe 2014 SEMA show is traditionally the home of modified high horsepower vehicles, but Kia turned that idea on its head when it revealed its Soul EV ice cream van.
Complete with custom interior fitout and a dinky little trailer, Kia says the idea behind the modern-day iced confection delivery service was to bring some of the magic of ice cream vans of yesteryear – only this time the magic is a little more scientific.
Kia teamed up with San Francisco-based Smitten ice-cream company, which uses liquid nitrogen to freeze the liquid milk and cream on the spot, and custom equipped the Soul EV to handle the high-tech systems.
As such the car features a unique hemlock cab divider that splits the two front seats from the rear passenger compartment, which has been retrofitted with bespoke ice cream equipment storage areas. The cabin also gets flamboyant red and white leather trim and panelling.
Further changes to the Soul EV include 'shaved' door handles with electronic latches instead, along with a cherry red exterior paint job and retro baby moon hub caps for the wheels, which are matched by the teardrop-shaped trailer.
The trailer is made from aluminium and "adds nostalgia to the Smitten Soul EV while providing added storage and functionality" says Kia. The trailer hooks up to the car via a pull-out table for extra workspace too.
A trio of waffle cone-shaped speakers sit atop the Kia Soul EV's roof to proclaim the vehicle's impending arrival, which is achieved via the car's Lithium-ion batteries. They provide enough charge for the vehicle to travel just over 200km, in conjunction with an 81kW/285Nm electric motor.
When the vehicle is stationary custom 'stop' signs with integrated LED light fold out from the rear of the car in both warning to other motorists to slow down and as an homage to ice cream trucks of the past.
The plan is to put the Soul EV into active duty once its motor show duties are complete.
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