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Many motorists continue to be skeptical about it E-car. But the Hyundai Kona Elektro shows: In terms of costs, range, everyday use and driving pleasure, there are hardly any real disadvantages and even some advantages.
Many drivers still believe that e-cars are still not suitable for long journeys, despite their steadily increasing ranges. With the Hyundai Kona Electric, however, we were practically able to convince ourselves of the opposite. In two weeks we traveled more than 2.000 kilometers from Cologne to various destinations in Germany. There were no problems, although some flexibility and patience were occasionally required. In return, the Kona spoiled us with fun propulsion and low energy costs. The renunciation of the combustion engine makes it easy.
Hyundai Kona 64 kWh: 400 km on the highway without any problems
The main reason for this is the generously sized battery. The Koreans say 64 kWh, which can probably also be used practically to this extent. Even on the freeway, this buffer is enough to cover 400 kilometers in one go. And you don't have to crawl behind trucks to do this, but can, as in our case, travel at 120 km/h. If you drive slower, you could probably do the 484 kilometers with the Kona, which are the maximum according to the WLTP measurement. With summer outside temperatures and 120 km/h, the consumption was mostly just over 15 kWh, so that even after the longest day tour - a trip of around 335 kilometers to northern Germany - there was still a decent reserve left. The reassuring thing about it: If you set the distance cruise control to 120, the range forecast remains reliably stable. In the past, Stromer gave the brisk driver one or the other range shock on the motorway, because this often collapsed if you wanted to be on the road faster. That wasn't the case on our tours with the Kona. Occasionally, however, it was foreseeable that the power reserve could be a bit tight, which is no longer a reason for nervousness on the German autobahn, because the next fast charging station is never far away.
In the case of the Kona, there would still be room for improvement when it comes to fast loading. A maximum of 79 kW should be possible, in practice it was between 44 and 73 kW, which the battery wanted to quickly incorporate into various columns. Ideally, it should take a good hour from empty to full. Other e-cars are now faster. Nevertheless, even with the Kona, a few minutes on the fast charger are often enough to fill up enough supplies for the remaining distance. On a 330-kilometer journey from Boxberg to Cologne, we docked at a fast charger twice because we started with a battery that was only 70 percent full. The breaks were welcome and entertaining, as you often meet other e-car users at the fast chargers, who report on their electric experiences. None of them expressed dissatisfaction with their fate.
Hyundai Kona 64 kWh: charging network not yet sufficient
It takes more than 11 hours to fill up the battery at charging stations with 5 kW and even more than 30 hours at a household socket. In the two weeks we used all of these charging options, because at some destinations public charging stations were so far away that we had to resort to tedious charging with household electricity. During an overnight stay in a smaller part of the city, there was not a single public charging station and in our case no private socket to dock. This is also one of the findings of our practical test: In Germany there are still surprisingly large white spots in the charging infrastructure.
The fairly low consumption on our tours was certainly also due to the predominantly activated Eco mode, which, however, by no means feels as tight as an Eco mode in the world of combustion engines. When you step on the gas pedal, the 150 kW/204 hp and 395 Nm front-wheel drive pulls forward in an amazingly sharp, spontaneous and apparently effortless manner in every driving situation. Whether it's a traffic light sprint, an intermediate sprint or an overtaking maneuver - this car conveys a feeling of sovereignty despite its 1,8 tons. The forward drive in sport mode is almost brutal, with the Kona showing itself beyond any doubt about the brisk sprint time of 7,6 seconds. If the front wheels are placed at an angle at the apex of the curve, they comment on powerful acceleration with wild whimpers. Quite a few passers-by are surprised that the source of the turbulent noise is a small SUV and not a wide mid-engine flat building of Italian provenance. And at least in Sport mode, the Kona corners well. If the lateral forces are too great, and this is where the total weight comes into play despite the low center of gravity, it tends to push hard over the wheels. The Kona is not a sports car, but you can still have fun with the small SUV.
Plenty of room for the rider in the Kona
At the same time, it is suitable for everyday use. In view of the 4,21 meter long body, the trunk and rear are sufficiently large and can be used variably. You even have a lot of room to develop at the front. There are also practical storage compartments, a giant touchscreen and many assistants that keep the car on track for an amazingly long time, even though the driver's hands are not on the steering wheel. The Korean is also well positioned in terms of connectivity, as it enables the user to activate the interior air conditioning remotely with an app and smartphone. And on request, comfort details such as two-zone automatic air conditioning, head-up display, electric seat adjustment, steering wheel heating or reversing camera are also on board.
However, the Kona is not cheap. The smaller 39 kWh battery starts at 35.650 euros, with the larger battery it is 41.850 euros. If you order a few extras, you can even drive the price of the top version to over 47.000 euros. Less the environmental bonus of 9.570 euros, the purchase price with a large battery should settle somewhere between 32.000 and 37.000 euros. In return, however, the Stromer also offers several potential savings, for example in vehicle taxes, insurance, maintenance and energy. A full charge at the household socket, where the kilowatt hour is around 30 cents, costs around 20 euros. Depending on driving style and route, around 400 kilometers are possible, so you have to reckon with around 100 euros for 5 kilometers. Even the most economical diesel can't do that.
Specifications of the Hyundai Kona 64 kWh
Five-seat, five-door mini-SUV; Length: 4,21 meters, width: 1,80 meters, height: 1,57 meters, wheelbase: 2,60 meters, trunk volume: 332 to 1.114 liters
Permanent magnet synchronous electric motor, 1-stage reduction gear, 150 kW/204 hp, maximum torque: 395 Nm, battery: lithium polymer, battery capacity: 64 kWh (gross), charging connection: Type 2 and CCS, AC charging power: theoretically 7,2 kW , in Germany 4,6 kW (1-phase), DC charging power: 79 kW, 0-100 km/h: 7,6 s, Vmax: 167 km/h, average consumption: 14,7 kWh, CO2 emissions: 0 g/km, WLTP range: 484 km, efficiency class: A+
Price from € 41.850
In brief
Why: very good driving performance, high range, simple operation
Why not: because a smaller battery is already sufficient for many usage profiles
What else: Kia e-Soul, Peugeot e-2008