Hyundai is dropping the Kona, its subcompact SUV, this Spring. But it’s the all-electric Kona you should REALLY get hyped about.
Hyundai is finally making and selling a subcompact crossover SUV called the Kona arriving in dealerships this Spring, but there’s an all-electric variant that’s just debuting around the world and it’s allegedly coming to the United States. According to Hyundai in a global press release (read as not the United States) they dropped earlier last week (Feb. 7, 2018) they’re introducing an all-electric Kona at the Geneva Motor Show making it the first car maker to introduce an all-electric subcompact SUV. Check out the teaser video that they also dropped for us below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsdjK8Xkgdc
Hyundai is shooting for 290 miles of range as far as their top-tier battery offering is concerned. This would put it well above the 240-mile range found in the Bolt and would place it in competition with the Tesla Model 3’s 290-mile range.
According to Push EV’s, the Kona Electric is already making waves in its home country of South Korea where preorders are already going down. They’ve also got more concrete specifics.
Two battery sizes are available in S. Korea and possibly other markets, too. There’s the entry-level 39 kWh battery and the larger 64 kWh battery. I’m going to guess Hyundai is going to aim for an attractive MSRP with the entry-level Kona Electric, $29,990 sounds about right. You’ll have to step up to their larger battery size to get the targeted 290 miles of range.
Californians will want to pay special attention when the Kona Electric drops as there is a hefty rebate check(s) in store for them if they decide to finance one. According to Clean Vehicle Rebates, the Hyundai Ioniq currently qualifies for a $2,500 rebate and a large chunk of that $7,000 federal tax credit. And if you live in the San Joaquin Valley district, there’s an additional $3,000 available. You’re looking at a potential $5,500 rebate check and up to $7,000 in federal tax rebates.
According to Car and Driver, interior space is a big selling point for the Kona against its competitors. I’ll be curious to see how much the batteries take up in this Kona Electric.
Gas prices are going up (again,) small crossovers are hot right now, and there’s money on the table presumably before the Kona Electric even hits the market.
If that isn’t a recipe for one best selling electric car, I don’t know what is.
