The boxy juxtaposition of a station wagon, hatchback and mini-SUV of the KIA Soul improves fuel economy by adding AeroHance Pods to make it more aerodynamic. The KIA Soul was one of the most popular vehicles driven by U.S. commercial and governmental fleets. It is designed with and marketed as having an organic, sporty look (like a boar wearing a backpack).
It might sound odd to equate the word “organic” with a passenger vehicle, but that is what brand marketing is about. The KIA Soul is a prime example of the style of car targeted by the automotive industry to sell to drivers that care about such things as sustainable agricultural crop yields and buying local, drivers to which the word “organic” appeal. The type of values epitomized by the premiere distributor of fresh produce for the California Central Coast – The Berry Man.
The same values of AeroHance and its Pod project, with its mission to make it easy for drivers to participate in carbon footprint reduction with a simple gesture – outfitting their vehicles with our fuel saving Pods. AeroHance Pods make most vehicles more aerodynamic, which results in fuel savings.
With a kit of 9 AeroHance Pods installed across the rear roofline of a KIA Soul, average mileage over 1700 miles of driving was 27.75 mpg. 1800 miles of baseline (no pods) mileage was 25.7 mpg. That is an extra 2 mpg per gallon. For their fleet of 16 Kia Soul that results in annual savings of $7400 – 770% annual ROI, and carbon reduction of 40,000 lbs!
The Berry Man offered 4 of its passenger vehicles, 2 – 2013 Kia Soul and 2 – 2004 PT Cruiser for Podding. Their drivers were instructed to log mileage using AeroHance’s mileage tracking form. After just 2 weeks of driving, Berry Man Test Team Member 1 had logged 1720 miles of driving!
The AeroHance Pods were then removed, which is easy to do if you have vehicles with ferrous roof and purchase AeroHance Pods that attach magnetically. The driver was instructed to continue logging mileage. During the next 2 weeks, he logged 1800 miles of driving!
See Case Study: Performance_Kia_Soul
The Berry Man was a pioneer in participation with the circular economy. It was our first client to adopt Celebration Pods for its 42-truck fleet. Celebration Pods are an initiative of global shoe manufacturers, supporting products – AeroHance Pods – manufactured using material vented during shoe sole production that would otherwise be waste and make its way into landfills and potentially to the ocean.