Hyundai Kona Electric Has This One Feature Going On For It - Literally!

Hyundai Motors India has launched the country¡¯s first ever all-electric SUV. Hyundai Kona, a global electric car was launched in India on Tuesday by the South Korean auto maker at a price of Rs 25.3 lakh. Now the Kona electric might seem to be just another car launched by Hyundai, but when you think about it, it is anything but that. The electric SUV is more of a bold statement by the company that shatters myths around electric vehicles in India. Reason? Its RANGE.

Look at it this way, Hyundai promises a range of 452 km on the Hyundai Kona. The range has been certified by ARAI, the Automotive Research Association of India, though real world range may vary, and it definitely will.

To put this into perspective, let us have a look at the ranges promised by two major electric cars in India. Tata Tigor EV delivers a range of 130 km on a single charge, while the Mahindra eVerito can be driven for around 110 km (company claimed). Hyundai Kona, with its 39.2 kWh battery offers around 2.5 times the battery capacity than the other two. In short, extended range, enough to travel to Himachal Pradesh from Delhi on a single charge! Of course the Kona also costs 2.5 times as much.

Hyundai Kona Electric (Image: IndiaTimes)

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Another feature that helps in maintaining a good range on the Kona is its regenerative braking. For those unaware, regenerative braking essentially captures the energy spent during braking and converts it back into electric energy. The new energy is then added back to the battery and voila! More range!

More battery in an electric car can naturally power a more powerful electric motor. Hence, the Hyundai Kona also comes with top-of-the-line performance specs when it comes to electric cars in India. A peak power of 100 kW (134.13 bhp) and 395 Nm is able to do a 0-100 kmph run in 9.7 seconds. Tata Tigor EV comes with a maximum power of 30 kW.

Now don¡¯t get us wrong. We are not trying to compare the Kona with the other two electric cars mentioned above. That would be plain stupid, with the gigantic price difference and also the fact that the Tata Tigor EV and Mahindra eVerito are not available for sale yet. With this perspective we are just trying to highlight how the previous stereotypes associated with electric cars no longer hold true.

Hyundai Kona Electric on charging. (Image: IndiaTimes)

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Let us be honest, there are many in India who are still oblivious to electric cars, their working or their pros and cons. Those who do know, had the perception that these cars are impractical for most purposes. Rightly so, with the absence of a widespread charging network in the country, you could not take them out for a long drive. They did not have too much power for the thrill seekers and apart from being environmentally-friendly, there was not much going for such a car that cost twice the price of its petrol-diesel counterparts.

Hyundai Kona changes that to a certain extent. For starters, the electric SUV caters to the luxury class, with almost all the latest features one could ask for, complete with a 17.7 cm floating touchscreen infotainment system that supports Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, heated and ventilated seats, sunroof and what not. You name it and it will probably be there in the list somewhere. It easily offers the performance to lure those seeking a speed thrill. It is more visually appealing than most in its price category. The car even charges up to 80% in under 57 minutes through a DC fast charger, as claimed by the company, while a portable charger can add 50 km range in under 3 hours. And when all of these reasons fail to impress the critics, the 452 km range will surely be a blow to any no-nos to electric cars!