KIA Soul EV (2018 year). Manual — part 20

Driving your vehicle

Before driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3

• Before entering vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3
• Necessary inspections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3
• Before starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3

POWER button. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5

• Illuminated POWER button. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
• POWER button position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
• Starting the vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7
• Pedestrian Warning System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
• Turing off the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9

Active ECO operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Reduction gear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11

• Reduction gear operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
• Good driving practices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16

Brake system. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-17

• Power brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-17
• Electronic parking brake (EPB) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-19
• Anti-lock brake system (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
• Electronic stability control (ESC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-25
• Vehicle stability management (VSM) . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-29
• Hill-start assist control (HAC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-30
• Good braking practices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-31

Cruise control system. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-33

• Cruise control switch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-34
• To set cruise control speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-34
• To increase cruise control set speed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-35
• To decrease the cruising speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-35
• To temporarily accelerate with the cruise

control on . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-35

• To cancel cruise control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-36
• To resume cruising speed at more than

approximately 20 mph (30 km/h) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-36

• To turn cruise control off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-37

Economical operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-38
Special driving conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-40

• Hazardous driving conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-40
• Reducing the risk of a rollover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-40
• Rocking the vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-41
• Smooth cornering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-42
• Driving at night . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-42
• Driving in the rain. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-43
• Driving in flooded areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-43
• Driving off-road. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-44
• Highway driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-44

5

Winter driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-45

• Snowy or icy conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-45
• Use high quality ethylene glycol coolant . . . . . . . . . . 5-47
• Check battery and cables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-47
• To keep locks from freezing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-47
• Use approved window washer anti-freeze

in system. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-47

• Don’t let your parking brake freeze . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-47
• Don't let ice and snow accumulate underneath . . . . 5-48
• Carry emergency equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-48

Trailer Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-48
Vehicle load limit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-49

• Tire and loading information label . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-49
• Certification label . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-52

Vehicle weight glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-54

• Base curb weight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-54
• Vehicle curb weight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-54
• Cargo weight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-54
• GAW (Gross axle weight) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-54
• GAWR (Gross axle weight rating) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-54
• GVW (Gross vehicle weight) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-54
• GVWR (Gross vehicle weight rating) . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-54

5

5 3

Driving your vehicle

Before entering vehicle

• Be sure that all windows, outside

mirror(s), and outside lights are
clean.

• Check the condition of the tires.
• Check under the vehicle for any

sign of leaks.

• Be sure there are no obstacles

behind you if you intend to back up.

Necessary inspections

Fluid levels, such as coolant, brake
fluid, and washer fluid should be
checked on a regular basis, at the
exact interval depending on the fluid.
Further details are provided in chap-
ter 7, “Maintenance”.

Before starting

• Close and lock all doors.
• Position the seat so that all con-

trols are easily reached.

• Buckle your seat belt.
• Adjust the inside and outside

rearview mirrors.

• Be sure that all lights work.
• Check all gauges.
• Check the operation of warning

lights when the POWER button is
turned to the ON position.

• Release the parking brake and

make sure the brake warning light
goes out.

For safe operation, be sure you are
familiar with your vehicle and its
equipment.

BEFORE DRIVING

WARNING

- Distracted

driving

Focus on the road while driving.
The driver's primary responsi-
bility is in the safe and legal
operation of the vehicle. Use of
any handled devices, other
equipment or vehicle systems
that distract the drive should
not be used during vehicle
operation.

Driving your vehicle

4

5

WARNING

- Check sur-

roundings

Always check the surrounding
areas near your vehicle for peo-
ple, especially children, before
putting a vehicle into D (Drive)
or R (Reverse).

WARNING

- Loose

objects

Securely store items in your
vehicle. When you make a sud-
den stop or turn the steering
wheel rapidly, loose objects
may drop on the floor and it
could interfere with the opera-
tion of the foot pedals, possibly
causing an accident.

WARNING

- Driving while

intoxicated

Do not drive while intoxicated.
Drinking and driving is danger-
ous. Even a small amount of
alcohol will affect your reflexes,
perceptions and judgment.
Driving while under the influ-
ence of drugs is as dangerous
as or more dangerous than driv-
ing drunk.

5 5

Driving your vehicle

Illuminated POWER button

Whenever the front door is opened,
the POWER button will illuminate for
your convenience. The light will go off
after about 30 seconds when the
door is closed.
When all entrances are closed, if you
lock the vehicle by using the smart
key, the light will go off immediately.

POWER button position

OFF

To turn off the vehicle, press the
POWER button with the shift lever in
the P (Park) position. When you
press the POWER button without the
shift lever in the P (Park) position, the
POWER button will not change to the
OFF position but to the ACC posi-
tion.
In an emergency situation while the
vehicle is in motion, you are able to
turn the vehicle off and to the ACC
position by pressing the POWER
button for more than 2 seconds or 3
times successively within 3 seconds.
If the vehicle is still moving, you can
restart the vehicle without depress-
ing the brake pedal by pressing the
POWER button with the shift lever in
the N (Neutral) position.

ACC (Accessory)

Press the POWER button while it is
in the OFF position without depress-
ing the brake pedal.
If the POWER button is in the ACC
position for more than 1 hour, the
POWER button is turned off auto-
matically to prevent battery dis-
charge.

POWER BUTTON

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Not illuminated

Amber

Driving your vehicle

6

5

ON

Press the POWER button while it is
in the ACC position without depress-
ing the brake pedal.
The warning lights can be checked
before the vehicle is started. Do not
leave the POWER button in the ON
position for a long time, otherwise
the battery may discharge.

START/RUN

To start the vehicle, depress the
brake pedal and press the POWER
button with the shift lever in the P
(Park) position.
If you press the POWER button with-
out depressing the brake pedal, the
vehicle will not start and the POWER
button changes as follow:
OFF

➔

ACC

➔

ON

➔

OFF or ACC

✽

✽

NOTICE

If you leave the POWER button in
the ACC or ON position for a long
time, the battery will discharge.

Redish orange

Not illuminated

WARNING

- Starting

vehicle

Never press the POWER button
while the vehicle is in motion
except in an emergency. If the
vehicle stops while the vehicle
is in motion, this would result in
loss of directional control and
braking function, which could
cause an accident.

WARNING

- Leaving the

Vehicle

To avoid unexpected or sudden
vehicle movement, never leave
your vehicle if the transmission
is not locked in the P (Park)
position and the parking brake
is fully engaged. Before leaving
the driver's seat, always make
sure the shift lever is engaged in
P (Park), set the parking brake
fully and shut the engine off.

5 7

Driving your vehicle

Starting the vehicle

1. Carry the smart key or leave it

inside the vehicle.

2. Make sure the parking brake is

firmly applied

3. Place the transaxle shift lever in P

(Park). Depress the brake pedal
fully.

4. Press the POWER button until the

ready "

" indicator light in the

cluster is turned on.

• Even if the smart key is in the vehi-

cle, if it is far away from you, the
vehicle may not start.

• When the POWER button is in the

ACC position or above, if any door
is opened, the system checks for
the smart key. If the smart key is
not in the vehicle, a message "key
is not in the vehicle" will appear on
the LCD display. And if all doors
are closed, the chime will sound for
5 seconds. The indicator or warn-
ing will turn off while the vehicle is
moving. Always have the smart key
with you.

CAUTION

If the vehicle stalls while the
vehicle is in motion, do not
attempt to move the shift lever
to the P (Park) position. If the
traffic and road conditions per-
mit, you may put the shift lever
in the N (Neutral) position while
the vehicle is still moving and
press the POWER button in an
attempt to restart the vehicle.

WARNING

- Proper

footwear

Always wear appropriate shoes
when operating your vehicle.
Unsuitable shoes (high heels, ski
boots, sandals, etc.) may inter-
fere with your ability to use the
brake and accelerator pedals.

Driving your vehicle

8

5

• If the battery is weak or the smart

key does not work correctly, you
can start the vehicle by pressing
the POWER button with the smart
key.
The side with the lock button
should contact the POWER button
directly.
When you press the POWER but-
ton directly with the smart key, the
smart key should contact the
POWER button at a right angle.

• When the stop lamp fuse is blown,

you can't start the vehicle normally.
Replace the fuse with a new one. If
it is not possible, you can start the
vehicle by pressing the POWER
button for 10 seconds while it is in
the ACC position. The vehicle can
start with depressing the brake
pedal.

Do not press the POWER button for
more than 10 seconds except when
the stop lamp fuse is blown.

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WARNING

- Unintended

vehicle movement

Never leave the smart key in the
vehicle with children or vehicle
occupants who are unfamiliar
with the vehicle operation.
Pushing the POWER button
while the smart key is in the
vehicle may result in unintend-
ed vehicle movement.

5 9

Driving your vehicle

Pedestrian Warning System

The Pedestrian Warning System
generates engine sound for pedestri-
ans to hear vehicle sound because
there is little sound while the Electric
Vehicle (EV) is operating.
If the vehicle is moving low speed,
the Pedestrian Warning System will
operated.
- When the reduction gear is shifted to

[R], the Pedestrian Warning System
will be operated immediately.

Turing off the Vehicle

1. Depress the brake pedal fully.
2. Place the shift lever in the P

(Park).

3. Apply the parking brake firmly.
4. Press the POWER button to turn

the vehicle off.

5. Make sure the "

(ready)" indi-

cator lights on the instrument clus-
ter are turned off.

✽

✽

NOTICE

If the "

(ready)" indicator light

on the instrument cluster is still on,
be careful that the vehicle is not
turned off and can move when you
place the shift lever in any position
except P (Park).

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Driving your vehicle

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5

Active ECO operation

Active ECO helps improve energy
efficiency by controlling certain
motor and climate contol system
operating parameters. Energy effi-
ciency depends on the driver's driv-
ing habit and road condition.
• When the Active ECO button is

pressed the ECO indicator (green)
will illuminate to show that the
Active ECO is operating.

• When the Active ECO is activated,

it will remain on until the Active
ECO button is pressed again.
Active ECO does not turn off when
the vehicle is restarted. To turn off
Active ECO, press the Active ECO
button again.

• If Active ECO is turned off, the sys-

tem will return to normal mode.

ACTIVE ECO SYSTEM

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5 11

Driving your vehicle

REDUCTION GEAR

The shift lever can be shifted freely.

Press the lock release button when shifting.

Depress the brake pedal and the lock release button when shifting.

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Driving your vehicle

12

5

Reduction gear operation

When stopped on an incline, do not
hold the vehicle with the motor
power. Use the service brake or the
parking brake.

Transaxle ranges

The indicator in the instrument clus-
ter displays the shift lever position
when the POWER button is in the
ON position.

P (Park)

Always come to a complete stop
before shifting into P (Park). This
position locks the gear and prevents
the drive wheels from rotating.
Shifting into P (Park) while the vehi-
cle is in motion will cause the drive
wheels to lock which will cause you
to lose control of the vehicle.

WARNING

- Leaving the

vehicle

Before leaving the driver’s seat,
always make sure the shift lever
is in the P (Park) position; then
set the parking brake fully and
shut the vehicle off. Do not use
the P position in place of the
parking brake. Always make
sure the shift lever is latched in
the P position and set the park-
ing brake fully. Unexpected and
sudden vehicle movement can
occur if these precautions are
not followed.

CAUTION

- Reduction

gear

To avoid damage to your reduc-
tion gear, do not accelerate the
vehicle in R (Reverse) or any
forward gear position with the
brakes on. The reduction gear
may be damaged if you shift
into P (Park) while the vehicle is
in motion.

5 13

Driving your vehicle

R (Reverse)

Use this position to drive the vehicle
backward.

N (Neutral)

The wheels and gear are not
engaged. The vehicle will roll freely
even on the slightest incline unless
the parking brake or service brakes
are applied.

D (Drive)

This is the normal forward driving
position. The gear will automatically
shift providing the best energy econ-
omy and power.

✽

✽

NOTICE

Always come to a complete stop
before shifting into D (Drive).

B (Regenerative brake): maximum
regenerative braking mode

Use it when you desire to use regen-
erative braking.
It is useful when you drive on a long
downhill on a highway, mountain
trails, or a slope.

❈

If you use regenerative braking,
you can achieve the same effect
as engine brake of a combustion
engine.

CAUTION

- Shifting

Always come to a complete stop
before shifting into or out of R
(Reverse); you may damage the
gear if you shift into R (Reverse)
while the vehicle is in motion,
except when “Rocking the vehi-
cle” explained in this section.

Driving your vehicle

14

5

- Parking in N (Neutral) gear

Follow below steps when parking
and you want the vehicle to move
when pushed.
1. After stopping your vehicle,

depress the brake pedal and move
the shift lever to [P] with the
POWER button in [ON] or while
vehicle is in the ready (

) mode.

2. If the parking brake is applied,

release the parking brake.

❈

For EPB (Electronic Parking
Brake) equipped vehicles, depress
the brake pedal and press the
EPB (Electronic Parking Brake)
switch, while the POWER button is
in [ON] or vehicle is in the ready
(

) mode to release the parking

brake.

3. Push the EPB (Electronic Parking

Brake) switch while depressing the
brake pedal, and turn the POWER
button [OFF].

❈

If the POWER button is moved to
‘OFF’ when the shift lever is in ‘P’,
the parking brake will apply auto-
matically. For ‘N’ gear parking, if
the POWER button is turned ‘OFF’
while pressing the EPB (Electronic
Parking Brake) switch, the parking
brake will not lock.

❈

For smart key equipped vehicles,
the POWER button can be moved
to [OFF] only when the shift lever
is in [P].

4. To unlock the transaxle shift lock

system, remove the [SHIFT LOCK
RELEASE] cap with care. Insert a
screwdriver into the shift-lock
override access hole and press
down.

While depressing the

screwdriver, you can move the
shift lever to [N] (Neutral) gear.

5. After depressing the brake pedal

and pushing the shift lever button,
move the shift lever to ‘N’. Then,
the vehicle will move when
pushed.

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5 15

Driving your vehicle

✽

✽

NOTICE

After the POWER button has been
turned off, the EPB (Electronic
Parking Brake) cannot be released.

Shift lock system

For your safety, the reduction gear
has a shift lock system which pre-
vents shifting the gear from P (Park)
or N (Neutral) into R (Reverse)
unless the brake pedal is depressed.
To shift the gear from P (Park) or N
(Neutral) into R (Reverse) or from D
(Drive) into R (Reverse) :
1. Depress and hold the brake pedal.
2. Start the vehicle or turn the

POWER button to the ON position.

3. Move the shift lever.
You can change the gearshift from N or
D to R, only when the break is in ON
and vehicle speed is less than 7 Km/h
If the brake pedal is repeatedly
depressed and released with the shift
lever in the P (Park) position, a chat-
tering noise near the shift lever may
be heard. This is a normal condition.

Shiftlock function will activate when
the gear is changed from N to R.
Before chaning the gear from N to R,
the driver must step on the brake
after the vehicle has come to a full
stop. Then, while pressing down on
the brake pedal, press onto the lock
release button.

❈

This function is to prevent any
reduction gear damage which may
occur if the driver locks the gear
while the vehicle is in motion.

WARNING

- Shifting from

park

Always fully depress the brake
pedal before and while shifting
out of the P (Park) position into
another position to avoid inad-
vertent motion of the vehicle
which could injure persons in
or around the vehicle.

WARNING

• With the exception of parking

in neutral gear, always park
the vehicle in [P] (Park) for
safety and apply the parking
brake.

• Before parking in [N] (Neutral)

gear, make sure the parking
ground is level and flat. Do not
park in [N] gear on any slopes
or gradients.
If parked and left in [N], the
vehicle may move and cause
serious damage or injury.

Driving your vehicle

16

5

Shift-lock override

If the shift lever cannot be moved
from the P (Park) position into R
(Reverse) position with the brake
pedal depressed, continue depress-
ing the brake, then do the following:
1. Carefully remove the cap covering

the shift-lock access hole (1).

2. Insert a screwdriver into the

access hole and press down on
the screwdriver.

3. Move the shift lever.
4. Have your vehicle inspected by an

authorized Kia dealer immediately.

• While the charging cable is con-

nected, you cannot use the shift
lever for safety reasons.

Good driving practices

• Never move the gear shift lever

from P (Park) to any other position
with the accelerator pedal
depressed.

• Never move the gear shift lever into

P (Park) when the vehicle is in
motion.

• Slow down before shifting to a

lower gear. Otherwise, the lower
gear may not be engaged.

• Always use the parking brake. Do

not depend on placing the shift
lever in P (Park) to keep the vehicle
from moving.

• Optimum vehicle performance and

economy is obtained by smoothly
depressing and releasing the
accelerator pedal.

Moving up a steep grade from a
standing start

To move up a steep grade from a
standing start, depress the brake
pedal, shift the shift lever to D
(Drive). Select the appropriate gear
depending on load weight and steep-
ness of the grade, and release the
parking brake. Depress the accelera-
tor gradually while releasing the
service brakes.

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