[Hyundai Kona News]

Hyundai surprised attendees at the New York International Auto Show last week by revealing their all electric variant of the Kona.

Expected to arrive at dealerships later this year as a 2019 model, the Kona EV comes with a high-tension 64-kWh lithium-ion battery. Combined with a 150-kW electric motor and it will have an output of 201 hp and 291 lb-ft of torque. What’s more, the vehicle is expected to deliver in excess of 250 miles of range on a single charge! Though the car has not been confirmed by the EPA, so final numbers could vary slightly.

This is still great news for fans of the brand as the Kona EV could become the affordable EV segment leader in range. Current rivals like the Chevy Bolt can deliver around 238 miles of pure electric range and the entry-level Model 3 has an EPA-rated all-electric range of 220 miles. In comparison, the full-electric Kona comes out ahead by at least 12 miles.

Charging the battery uses an onboard 7.2 kilowatt charger and it’s actually faster than most of the other entry-level electric vehicles out there. Even better, the Kona electric has a DC fast charge port that works with the new SAE 100 kilowatt standard.

Some may be concerned about the car’s long-term battery life, the use of a liquid cooling system for the battery pack should fall more along the lines of the Chevy bolt and not the passively cooled Nissan Leaf.

Let us know below, what you think of Hyundai’s entry into the segment.

 

[Gideon]

I definitely think that the performance figures and price point of the Kona EV are going to be tough to match. Not much can be done about long term battery life, as all EV's are going to suffer from battery life loss. Luckily it looks like Nissan is one of the first companies to be offering a battery replacement program, where owners can purchase much cheaper refurbished units. I expect such initiatives to come out of all manufacturers offering EV's.

 

[Crona]

It really depends on when they plan to release the Kona EV and if the range is really around 250 miles per full charge. If they wait too long, other company may have caught up to their battery density and offer similar range for their cars. It seems to always be a race when it comes to electric cars and range, to see who gets their product out first.

 

[coder]

I own the Kona EV. It is a good EV in many ways, except for the recent battery recall. I view that as a significant setback for this model, esp. the lack of information regarding the canadian case where there was an explosion. That, at least deserves and explanation. It is critical that Hyundai handles this problem in a transparent and efficient manner. The longer a remedy is delayed the more credibility the brand loses in the marketplace. The the NTSHA recall notice is posted, and my dealer is willing to schedule an appointment. Yet when I show up there I get "the remedy is not yet available, we will let me know."

How long does it take to transmit the software update? What exactly do the dealers need, to be able to at least do the inspection and software update? Software? Inventory of spare batteries? Training? How long is this going to take before I can go back to charging and parking my car in my garage?