The battery-electric version of the Kona, Hyundai’s new crossover utility vehicle, will have a range of 250 miles when it goes on sale next fall.
Michael O’Brien, Hyundai vice president of corporate, product and digital planning, said during a media gathering in Detroit that the EV version of the Kona will have the range to match that of the Chevrolet Bolt, which is currently stated to be 238 miles.
Hyundai is still in the planning stages of the launch of the Kona EV had has not yet decided whether to make it available in all 50 states. However, it will definitely be available in the 10 “Zev States” that follow the emissions standards set down by the State of California to encourage the use of electric vehicles.
Demand for the Kona EV is expected to be quite strong in Korea and in western Europe, O’Brien added. Demand for electric vehicles in the U.S. is expected to grow over the next few years. Nissan reported sales of the Leaf have jumped this year and the Bolt is essentially sold out while Tesla also has a backlog of orders for its long-promised Model 3.
(Hyundai brings back Veloster and its hot hatch friend, the N. Click Here for the story.)
In addition, a recent survey indicated that roughly one in five Americans are willing to consider ordering electric vehicle, and electric vehicles are the vehicle of choice for fleets of autonomous vehicles that the industry is beginning to assemble.
O’Brien did not offer any pricing information about the Kona EV, but did note it would not be far removed from the pricing for the standard Kona with a gasoline engine. The prices for the fully-equipped “Ultimate” version of the Konda starts at $27,400 before the application of the $985 destination charge.
(Click Here for more about 2019 Hyundai Veloster.)
Trevor Lai, product planning manager on the Kona project, said that the Kona EV promises to be the most affordable battery electric vehicle on the market when it goes on sale in the fourth quarter of 2018. It will be significantly less expensive than its only direct competitor, the Tesla Model X.
Lai added the design of the Kona EV is completely different than the Ionic EV that Hyundai introduced last year. The battery from LG Chem is twice as large and is water cooled instead of air cooled as on the Ionic EV. The battery and electric motor on the Kona EV is expected to product 201 horsepower and 280 foot-pounds of torque, Lai said.
(To see more about Hyundai’s expanding line-up of SUVs, Click Here.)
The Kona EV also retains the practical utility of a CUV while offering impressive performance that includes a top speed of 100 miles per hour.
