Hyundai Kona

Even after completing the journey of over 400 kms, the car showed that there was still enough charge to do another 40 kms
Even though costly as compared to their fossil fuel powered counterparts, electric cars offer a range of benefits. There are not many electric car owners in India, but there are many who aspire to become one. The main reason holding most buyers back, is the range curiosity and charging infrastructure.

To help consumers understand the range of electric cars in India, some owners have shared detailed videos about real world drive range, service costs, etc. Now, a Hyundai Kona electric owner from Kerala, via YouTube Channel ‘Kona Kerala’ has shared their experience of driving the car from Trivandrum to Calicut, a distance of around 400 km.
Trivandrum to Calicut – Journey details
The journey begins at a Hyundai dealership in Trivandrum and ends at a Hyundai dealership in Calicut. The purpose of this journey was to find out the actual range of Kona EV. The ARAI-claimed range of Kona is 452 km, making it the longest range EV in the country. In comparison, Tata Nexon has a range of 312 km whereas MG ZS EV can travel 340 km on a single charge. Recently, a Nexon EV owner had posted their range experience with the car, which came out to be 170-180 km on a single charge.

Hyundai Kona EV owner shares stats / experience
Talking about Kona’s 400 km journey, the car starts with a full charge from the Trivandrum dealership and reaches the bypass road after travelling for 69 km. Most roads in Kerala are two-lane and the ones near cities and towns are usually crowded. To save battery, the vlogger utilizes Kona’s special feature where the driver’s side AC can function independently. This saves battery without compromising comfort when driving alone. After driving for 103 km, the battery was at 80 percent.
At 161 km, the battery consumption was at 34 percent and the available range showed 209 km on the instrument cluster. As the car enters Kochi, it is faced with traffic jams. However, it does not have any major impact on battery consumption, as energy use is low when the car is idling. When the battery level showed 50 percent, Kona had travelled a distance of 233 km. Available range was displayed at 160 km. Watch the detailed video below.

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When it started getting dark, Kona was around 112 km away from its destination. The car performed well in night time conditions and reached the Hyundai dealership in Calicut with 7 percent battery still remaining.
Cost-effective in the long run
Overall, Kona travelled 409 km in this journey on a single charge. If we consider the 7 percent remaining battery, it shows that Kona’s real world range is quite close to its claimed range of 452 km.
However, Kona may not be for everyone, as it is quite expensive at Rs 26 lakh, on-road. Nonetheless, Kona can still be cost-effective in the long run, as charging and maintenance cost is significantly less in comparison to that of ICE powered cars. More

Scheduled 10,000km service cost of the same Hyundai Kona EV (or Electric), done earlier, was zero rupees
The Indian automotive industry is at a budding stage when it comes to all-electric powertrains. At the moment, two-wheelers (especially scooters) have the highest choices of ‘direct’ emission-free products. Bangalore-based Ather Energy has clearly set a high benchmark for made-in-India electric two-wheelers.

On the other hand, India’s four-wheeler PV (passenger vehicle) segment has limited choices. The list currently includes Hyundai Motor India’s Kona Electric, MG Motor India’s ZS EV and Tata Motors’ Nexon EV. Mahindra & Mahindra is in the final stages of its eXUV300 or XUV300 Electric project. To the larger share of Indian buyers, electric vehicles still do not carry the desirability of a conventional ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) option.
One of the main reasons for this is high pricing (relatively). Furthermore, at least in the present market scenario, electric four-wheelers seem viable only in urban environments where there is enough supporting infrastructure. Yet it appears that EVs carry some less-discussed benefits over a regular ICE alternative.
Surprising maintenance cost
Arun Bhat S (@arunbhats on Twitter) has shared the one-year service cost of his Hyundai Kona Electric, proving that low maintenance charges could make up for an EV’s high initial cost. Trident Automobiles, a Hyundai dealership in Bangalore, charged him just Rs 1,043 for the electric crossover’s yearly maintenance.

Hyundai Kona Electric Service Cost
The bill breaks down to ‘tubeless repair seals’, consumables, calliper guide rod grease, sanitisation (Hygiene Care), general checkup and tyre puncture repair. Labour cost was set at Rs 118. If we consider only the mandatory items, one-year service cost for the Hyundai Kona EV hardly crosses Rs 500. This is still higher than the previous scheduled-maintenance cost since Arun paid absolutely zero for 10,000km service.
An electric vehicle has far less moving and wearing parts inside its power plant. Auxiliary systems such as lubrication, cooling, belts and pumps are also minimal. Thanks to regenerative braking (also known as ‘brake re-gen’ or ‘energy recovery’), pads last longer as well. Certain EVs including Tesla models feature a ‘single-pedal’ mode which virtually eliminates the use of a brake pedal under normal city driving conditions. The energy recovery is strong enough to retard the vehicle’s motion.
Hyundai Kona – Specs
The Indian-spec Hyundai Kona, priced from Rs 25.30 lakh ex-showroom, employs a 39.2kWh lithium-ion battery pack. Peak output stands at 134bhp and 395Nm while boasting of an ARAI-claimed range of 452km (289km on WLTP cycle). International variants now get a 64Wh battery unit capable of returning 449km range as per WLTP stats. The motor makes 201bhp. More

Hyundai Kona electric is available in two variants with prices starting from Rs 23.85 lakhs
Hyundai Kona EV was introduced in India in mid 2019. Here, Hyundai Kona features a 39.3 kWh battery pack and 136 hp electric motor. ARAI approved drive range is listed at 452 kms on full charge. The lithium-ion polymer battery is fully charged in 6 hours and 10 minutes through a AC charger. A DC fast charger takes 57 minutes to charge up to 80 percent. 0 to 100 kmph takes 9.7 seconds.

This EV will cost you Rs 23.85 lakhs for single tone colour option and Rs 24.11 lakhs for the dual tone option. Warranty on offer till date was 3 years / unlimited kms along with battery warranty of 8 yrs / 1.6 lakh kms. Now, Hyundai India has today announced the launch of two more warranty options, under the Wonder Warranty program.
Hyundai India is offering customized warranty packages for their new cars for some time now. This helps customers to chose the best warranty package for their driving needs. With the Kona, till date only 3 yrs / unlimited kms warranty option was on offer. But from today, customers will also be able to chose from either 4 years / 60,000 kms or 5 years 50,000 kms.
Depending on how the owner plans to use the car, these customized warranty packages will help them maintain their car more effectively. No matter the warranty package you chose, price is included in the car’s price. Hyundai is also increasing the EV charging network in India. Till date they have installed AC 7.2KW chargers at more than 50 dealerships in 30 cities of India.
Kona Electric 1 lakh Global Sales

2020 Hyundai Kona
Earlier this month it was announced that Hyundai Kona sales globally had crossed the 1,00,000 units mark. Sales totalled to 1,03,719 units by June 30, 2020. The feat was achieved in just over 2 years of sales. Kona EV popularity is widespread, with more than three-quarters total sales having been reported outside its home market, South Korea. Sales in Europe has been noteworthy
Hyundai has plans to sell over 5,60,000 battery powered vehicles by 2025. Among Hyundai’s prodigious EV lineup, Kona electric SUV plays is destined to play a key role in achieving target sales. Going forward, Hyundai’s BEV platforms will focus on ultra fast charging, and long drive range models.
2020 Hyundai Kona
The 2020 model for Europe has an improved drive range, up to 484 kms from 449 kms. This is for the top-end model that features a 64 kWh battery pack and 204 hp electric motor. Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Czech (HMMC) plant in Nosovice, Czech Republic is charged with building the more powerful Kona EV for the European market. This is an important development and requirement to accomplish Hyundai’s EV targets over the next 5-years.
Production in Europe helps manage delivery schedules to European customers in a more efficient manner. Kona EV supplies from its Ulsan plant to Europe will also be increased. Hyundai had targeted selling upward of 60,000 Kona EV units in Europe alone through 2020. Hyundai’s Czech Republic factory is capable of manufacturing 30,000 Kona EV units annually for the European market.

Hyundai Kona getting charged at the PlugNgo electric car charging station in Delhi
And while Europe is making a smarter and responsible choice that doesn’t hurt the earth further when choosing Hyundai Kona EV, in India the offering is a lifestyle product for those who can afford an ex sh price at just under 25 lakhs. The units are imported to India as CKD kits from South Korea.
Localisation is being undertaken for non-critical components. This includes interior trims and select plastic bits. In 2019, 280 units were sold in India. Hyundai had aims to sell about 500 Kona EV units in 2020. However, under current pandemic conditions that number maybe revised. In tandem with a global move to switch to electric variants, India too harbours what for now appears to be a pipe dream. The electric shift dialogue doesn’t define a plan as to how the country is going to adapt to EVs. However, when such an outline is more definitive, Hyundai will expand its EV lineup in the country to include a sub-10 lakh electric vehicle. More

2020 Hyundai Kona for Europe. Increased drive range will offer buyers an even better ownership experience The 2020 Hyundai Kona EV for the European market will be offering a considerable increase in its overall drive range. From existing 449 km, the drive range of Kona EV on full charge has now been increased to 484 […] More

Hyundai Kona electric owner Akhil Venkateshwaran has managed to complete a long distance journey in an EV. He has shared his detailed log with images. When it comes to long journeys, can EVs (electric vehicle) be just as effective as their fossil fuel counterparts? This question is probably on the minds of many EV users […] More