The Soul EV also scored an improvement in “Photochemical Oxidant Creation Potential”, limiting the amount of smog created by the vehicle’s manufacturing process and by the vehicle itself throughout its life.

Kia Soul EV. Click to enlarge.

Kia’s first TÜV Nord certification was earned in 2008 with the first-generation cee’d, and this year’s certifications bring the total number of Kia models with ISO 14040 Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) certification to 11.

The product development process employed by Kia is aimed at minimizing the environmental footprint of Kia’s manufacturing operations, and all cars developed by the brand since 2006 have been built with the LCA in mind.

This more environmentally-friendly development process covers five major steps:

• Application of a check-sheet to evaluate the vehicle’s environmental credentials throughout its lifecycle;

• Utilization of 3D drawings at the design stage to verify recyclability;

• Detailed physical analysis of the product during the development process to verify recyclability;

• Use of eco-friendly materials; and

• Streamlining of the manufacturing process through improvements in use of materials and simplification of parts design.

The Soul EV produced for both Korean and European markets has been ISO 14040-certified, with models for the North American market due to follow in August.

Earlier this year, Kia announced its intention to achieve ISO 50001 certification across all its global production facilities which will result in tighter management of energy consumption. ISO 50001 is an international standard on corporate energy conservation planning and implementation. Kia’s Gwangju plant has been ISO 50001-certified since 2012, with other facilities due to follow.