The Leader in the Next Wave of Affordable EVs
So, 2019 will be remembered as the year that battery electric vehicles became mainstream with choices available from several manufacturers, offering options that have become legitimate alternatives to traditional internal combustion engine vehicles. Compromises with price, range, charging and features are finally becoming a thing of the past. Prices and range are becoming competitive with conventional cars, public charging infrastructure continues to come online at a furious pace, and the features of EVs are highlighting the unique advantages of owning and operating them.
The 2019 Hyundai Kona EV is a perfect example of this revolution. The Kona is a CUV (Compact Utility Vehicle) that offers a competitive price (with federal tax credits an entry price of under $30,000) and an EPA-rated range of 258 miles or more under real-world driving. The Kona has industry-standard charging for use at home or on the road and has class-leading safety and convenience features that are on par with conventional luxury CUVs.
The Kona EV is part of a Hyundai-Kia family of CUVs that was designed with conventional, hybrid and electric powertrains in mind. This strategy allows Hyundai to leverage the costs of manufacturing the Kona over a much broader base than just one vehicle and gives Hyundai the flexibility to match supply with demand. And if our time with the Kona EV is any indication, the market is going to be strong for the EV version.
Where Does the Kona Fit?
Overall the 2019 Hyundai Kona EV is about the same size as the Lexus UX, Toyota RAV4, and the Chevy Bolt. It is shorter than the Nissan Leaf and has less cargo space, but its passenger space feels quite roomy despite it being a small crossover. It’s essentially a five-door hatchback reimagined for the 21st-century compact crossover buyer.
Powered by a 201 horsepower permanent magnet motor that has 290 pounds-feet of torque driven through a single-speed transmission, the Kona is front-wheel drive only. That gives the Kona EV plenty of grunt that gets it from 0-60 in 6.4 seconds. Consider that it wasn’t that long ago that that sort of performance was considered to be supercar territory. With the Kona EV’s instant torque, it certainly can feel like a supercar.
The Kona’s 64 kilowatt-hour (kWh) lithium-ion battery pack sits under the floor and offers an EPA range of 258 miles. The Kona is currently the leader of the pack for mid-sized and priced EVs, but that is a moving target, with the other mid-priced EV manufacturers offering to compete EVs that are in the same general range.
The 2019 Hyundai Kona EV uses the emerging industry standard SAE Combo Charging System (CCS) for DC fast-charging. The Kona is equipped with a 7.2 kW onboard Level 2 charger for home or destination charging and a 100 kW DC fast charger connection. The 7.2 kW onboard charger can fully replenish the battery in about nine hours, and the CCS connection can do the same in between 50 and 75 minutes depending on the speed of the DCFC unit. CCS is the fastest-growing charging standard in the world (the main competitor is Japanese CHAdeMO system); while Tesla’s proprietary charging standard has an early lead, the number of public CCS chargers coming online is quickly outnumbering the Tesla system.
The Kona’s Got the Goods
The Kona is well equipped with creature comforts and technology features. The front and rear seating is comfortable, with eight-way seats designed for Americans in either cloth or leather, depending on the trim. The rear seating may be a bit tight for some, but generally, it is on par with the Kona EV’s competitors. The Kona’s interior is comfortable but seemed noisy especially in the rear of the vehicle. The low rolling resistance tires and lack of rear chassis sound deadening in the wheel wells is suspect for the excess noise. Cargo capacity for the Kona EV is average for a CUV at 19.2 cubic feet, which is perfect for carrying a couple of bags of groceries, but not much more.
Large 7.0 or 8.0-inch displays for the driver and infotainment provide excellent, clear, easy-to-see access to controls and information. On the Ultimate trim, a retractable head-up display (HUD) offers a variety of speed, direction and safety information directly in the driver’s line of sight. An available 315-watt Infinity audio system, combined with Android Auto, Apple CarPlay Sirius XM, HD radio and USB 3.0 inputs, has excellent sound and can be paired with just about any audio source. The Kona supports Hyundai’s latest Blue Link LTE hotspot connectivity and wireless charging for smart devices.
Hyundai’s “Smart Sense” safety suite is standard on the Kona EV. This includes forward-collision avoidance with pedestrian detection, lane-keeping and blind-spot assists, rear cross-traffic collision avoidance and automated high beams. Adaptive cruise control with stop and go capabilities is available. With the adaptive cruise control, the Kona is a Level 2 autonomous safety assist system like those from Tesla, Nissan, GM and the others, and is very competent and on par with the current top-tier safety systems.
Out on the Range
Testing the range was high on the list, so with 257 miles of range indicated, we took off from San Jose for a trip up to Napa Valley and back. We drove with traffic at about 65-70 mph for a round trip of 235 miles. When we got back home, the Kona still had 20 miles left with an average miles/kWh of 3.8. The official EPA economy rating for the Kona is 132 city/108 highway/120 combined MPGe.
The drive was very comfortable except for the tire and road noise, and we never experienced range anxiety. While not every community has the benefit of an EV charger on every corner, it has become the norm in Northern California. The saying “As California goes, so goes the world” may be applicable here. If anything, our range drive was perfectly normal and routine, boring even. If EVs are to become mainstream across the land, “boring” is a good thing to be.
The Hyundai Kona EV is a very competent, well-engineered electric CUV, but for those wanting a closer look, it may be tricky at first. Hyundai is being very conservative in making the Kona EV available in showrooms. Initially, it is only available in California and zero-emission focused states along the west and east coasts. Hyundai will eventually offer the Kona EV in all 50 states, and in the meantime, it is rumored that it can be special-ordered in areas where it is not initially available.
Pricing for the 2019 Hyundai Kona EV ranges from $36,950 for the SEL to $44,900 for the Ultimate. Also, all trim levels have a $1,045 destination and handling charge.
The Kona EV does qualify for the full federal tax credit of $7,500 and any state, local, or utility rebates or credits available.
The Kona EV is the current benchmark for a well-equipped, reasonably-priced EV vehicle. It’s the car being measured today against its competitors, like the Chevy Bolt, Nissan Leaf Plus, Kia Niro (a sister car) and even the Tesla Model 3. But as the EV market continues to develop and mature, with new models continuing to be introduced, who knows who will be top dog tomorrow.
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In order to give you the best perspective on the many vehicles available, Clean Fleet Reporthas a variety of contributors. When possible, we will offer you multiple perspectives on a given vehicle. This comes under SRO-Second Road Test Opinion. We hope you’ll enjoy these diverse views–some are just below—and let us know what you think in comments below or at publisher@cleanfleetreport.com.
Road Test: 2019 Hyundai Kona EV (Steve’s view)
Road Test: 2019 Chevrolet Bolt
Road Trip: 2019 Nissan Leaf Plus
Road Test: 2019 Kia Niro (Gary’s view)
Road Test: 2019 Kia Niro (Steve’s view)
Road Test: 2019 Kia Niro (John’s view)
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Disclosure:
Clean Fleet Report is loaned free test vehicles from automakers to evaluate, typically for a week at a time. Our road tests are based on this one-week drive of a new vehicle. Because of this we don’t address issues such as long-term reliability or total cost of ownership. In addition, we are often invited to manufacturer events highlighting new vehicles or technology. As part of these events we may be offered free transportation, lodging or meals. We do our best to present our unvarnished evaluations of vehicles and news irrespective of these inducements.
Our focus is on vehicles that offer the best fuel economy in their class, which leads us to emphasize electric cars, plug-in hybrids, hybrids and diesels. We also feature those efficient gas-powered vehicles that are among the top mpg vehicles in their class. In addition, we aim to offer reviews and news on advanced technology and the alternative fuel vehicle market. We welcome any feedback from vehicle owners and are dedicated to providing a forum for alternative viewpoints. Please let us know your views at publisher@cleanfleetreport.com.
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