Kia Soul EV Owners Report UVO Removing Features

Kia Soul EV owners are wondering why their Kia Access apps, sometimes referred to as UVO, are losing features. There’s good news and bad news.

In a Facebook post on a Kia Soul EV group page, a user asks, “Anyone else notice that UVO keeps removing features? Now they no longer give the SOC [state of charge] percentage, only a battery graphic. Where do they get the idea that less information is better? They have steadily made UVO less and less useful.”

The poster later goes onto admit that he’s actually talking about the Kia Access app for Android. But others do chime in with questions about the system. One user commented, “I pulled out my iPad and checked the app before uploading and SOC % was there, after the update it is gone. Only a battery icon showing a half full battery that is really at 36%! Obviously design choices by someone who hasn't been driving short-range EV for very long.”

So, the bad news via a Kia spokesman, is the users are right. There have been changes, Kia told Torque News. The charge status has gone away.

What’s the good news? It appears to only be a temporary thing. According to Kia, “The app is being redesigned and the charge status will return once the redesign is complete, which should be later this year.”

No further details were available. Just like any other industry, the details aren’t going to be shared until everything is worked out. You’ve heard it before in the automotive world, “We don’t discuss future product.”

Of course, the Kia Soul EV is no longer on the market. You need to turn to the Kia Niro EV if you want new. Its UVO telematics system that allows owners to monitor and control a long list of vehicle operations, including: notifications of battery and charging status; real-time charging station update; and, scheduled charging.

Keith Griffin covers Hyundai and Kia at Torque News. He has been writing continuously about cars since 2002. Keith used to be a researcher/writer for US News & World Report, as well as numerous car sites, including Carfax and Car Gurus, and a contributor to The Boston Globe. Most recently, Keith was the managing editor for American Business Media. Follow Keith at @indepthauto on Twitter and on @LinkedIn.