I Proposed the Hyundai Kona EV to My Mother — Here Is Why
My first test drive of the Hyundai Kona EV in Germany — and why I think it's the perfect first electric car for my mother.
Today I had the great pleasure of my first test drive of the Hyundai Kona EV in Germany. It's one of the best-known EVs available here. First announced in 2018, the SUV has some things I was looking for as my mother's first EV.
Firstly, the Hyundai Kona EV looks really nice and is an SUV — which is helpful for the area she lives in. That was the first ice-breaker. Then I looked at the features:
- Heating features: You can order this car with seat heating, steering wheel heating, and as with most EVs you also get a parking heater. Most importantly, the car has a heat pump (less range drop in winter) and a very well-executed "driver only" heating mode, so the vehicle only heats the driver's seating area.
- Safety features: ACC (distance-regulated cruise control), lane assist, parking sensors, and a reverse camera.
- Charging and range: With an official range of 484 km, you can do long trips without recharging — and I tested this with moderate speed on the German Autobahn. This is even more than my Model S. You can charge using AC and CCS DC charging stations up to 78 kW.
- Price: The car starts at around €34,000 and is therefore reasonably priced.
Because of these reasons, I thought: let's get the Hyundai Kona EV for my mother! I hope she'll buy it — so that I can borrow it from her occasionally. 😄
If you're interested in this car too, you'll find all the information you need here:
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the real-world range of the Hyundai Kona EV?+
The Hyundai Kona EV (64 kWh battery) delivers a real-world range of approximately 380–420 km in mixed driving conditions, depending on speed and temperature. In city driving the range is higher; motorway driving at 130 km/h reduces it to around 300–340 km.
Is the Hyundai Kona EV a good first electric car?+
Yes — the Kona EV is one of the better first EVs for drivers coming from combustion cars. It has a familiar SUV form factor, sufficient real-world range to eliminate most range anxiety, a simple charging experience, and a competitive price point relative to comparable ICE vehicles.
What charging speeds does the Hyundai Kona EV support?+
The Kona EV (64 kWh) supports AC charging at up to 7.2 kW and DC fast charging at up to 77 kW (100 kW on the 2021 facelift model). A 10–80% fast charge takes approximately 47 minutes at a 50 kW DC charger, or around 75 minutes at a standard 50 kW public charger.