Kia's New Electric Car Has A Range That Will Blow Away The Competition

Kia announced today it is working on an all-electric version of the Kia Soul for the U.S. market, with a range that will blow away the competition.

The electric Soul will have a "target range of more than 120 miles," Kia says. That's far above what's offered by the popular Nissan Leaf (75 miles) and newcomer Chevy Spark EV (82 miles).

It is on par with the BMW i3, whose $41,350 MSRP puts it far above what the electric Soul will likely cost. (The gasoline-powered 2014 Soul starts for just $15,495.)

Improved range can be a major selling point when it comes to all-electric cars, because the lack of ability to fill up at any gas station is a weakness.

120 miles is still far short of the least powerful Model S, which offers a 208-mile range, but the Soul won't cost anywhere near the $62,000 commanded by the Tesla.

Kia has not announced pricing or detailed specs for the electric Soul yet, but says it will go from 0 to 60 mph in under 12 seconds and have a top speed between 90 and 100 mph.