Up to 300 miles on one charge for only £4.90
MANY say it’s the flag in previously unchartered ground in the world of EVs on two main counts: its range and price.
The Kona EV boasts a whopping 300-plus mile range that inches into Tesla territory but with a much more palatable price tag. The ‘standard range’ version comes with a 39KwH battery which does around 200 miles on a single charge. The long range, 64KwH version does around 300, with real-life tests racking up as many as 316 miles.
When you imagine that comparable models on range, the Jaguar I-Pace and Tesla Model S+ are upwards of £60,000, the Kona’s competitive edge becomes razor sharp.
The Kona EV will charge up in about 9.5 hours (overnight) on a standard home charger. Its compact, SUV-style body has earned a bit of a ‘Marmite’ reaction, but Hyundai must surely be applauded for keeping the Kona dynamic and individual in both function and form.
On the inside it’s pretty cool too. It’s remarkably comfortable, brimming with exciting tech and fairly spacious in both the front and rear. It’s a steal on performance alone but it also feels relatively grand and luxurious for its class; due in no small part to its centre console and clean leather finish.
Eco mode hushes the throttle response, cuts the aircon and considerably boosts your range potential, while sport mode, well – essentially does the opposite. It does offer a more exhilarating, race-like drive, which is worth the trip off-island for higher speed limits.
