Kia Motors sells 100 Soul EVs to ‘carbon-free’ island of Udo

Kia Motors Corp., Korea’s No. 2 carmaker, said Monday it sold 100 electric vehicles (EVs) to a car rental company based on the island of Udo.

The carmaker said it has shipped 100 units of the Soul EV to the scenic island just east of Jeju Island.

Udo has proclaimed itself a “carbon-free” island, and is moving to establish an environmentally friendly transportation system.

First launched in 2014, Kia has sold 21,000 Soul EVs around the globe. The model is the most popular EV in Korea.’

Producer price index jumps due to February coal prices

Korea’s producer prices rose slightly last month from a year earlier due to a hike in prices of coal and petrochemicals, the central bank said Monday.

The producer price index came to 102.62 in February, up from 98.48 a year earlier, according to preliminary data from the Bank of Korea (BOK). Producer prices serve as an indicator of future consumer inflation.

The February index also gained from a revised 102.31 in January.

Utility prices, including electricity and water, fell 4.4 percent in February from a year earlier. YONHAP