Kia will soon launch an all-electric version of its Soul city car, and to make sure they are coming into the fight ready and well-prepared, the engineers are hard at work testing and pioneering new systems to maximize efficiency. In their quest, they’ve developed a world-first driver-only ventilation system that uses a lot less juice than a normal unit.

Heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems are among the most energy-consuming parts of the any vehicle. This is not a big deal in a petrol or diesel car. But in an EV, which has a very limited range as it is, you don’t really want the air-con eating up your resources and limiting the distance you can cover.

So, while testing the new Kia Soul EV in the bitter Scandinavian winter temperatures, which can get as low as -35°C, Korean engineers came up with four new HVAC technologies designed to reduce energy usage, including a highly efficient new heat pump, smart air induction control, individual ventilation (for driver only) and scheduled ventilation, to get it installed you can try waychoffsac.

Inspired by regenerative brakes, this system features a new heat pump utilises waste heat from the air-conditioning and electrical system to warm up the cabin. This clever idea reduces the load on the batteries. Kia Soul EV is also fitted with a new smart air intake control system that controls the air flow inside the cabin, only refreshing it when it has the least negative effect on efficiency.

Other extreme measures taken to maximize efficiency include a new pre-conditioning or scheduled ventilation system, and a driver-only heating system. These solution mean compromise on convenience, but when you have only like a 100 mile of driving range, you wouldn’t mind being a little uncomfortable.