Hyundai Kona EV Outdistances Competitors

The all-electric version of Hyundai Motor Co.'s new Kona compact crossover vehicle can drive 258 miles per charge, according to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ratings.

This beats the Kona’s closest competitors, the Chevrolet Bolt and Nissan Leaf, by 20 miles and more than 100 miles, respectively. But the Kona falls short of the larger Tesla 3 sedan, which has an EPA rating of 310 miles.

The 2019 Kona Electric’s combined efficiency equivalent rating is 120 mpg-e (132 mpg in the city and 108 mpg on the highway). At launch, the car will use a 64-kWh lithium-ion battery. A less expensive 39.2-kWh unit is expected to be added later that will provide an estimated range of about 160 miles.

The car’s electric motor generates 201 hp and 291 lb-ft of torque. Hyundai says the vehicle takes 7.6 seconds to accelerate from zero to 60 mph with the larger battery and 9.3 seconds with the smaller cell pack. A DC fast-charging system can replenish either battery to 80% of capacity in less than an hour.

Hyundai introduced the piston-powered Kona earlier this year. The Kona Electric is being launched now in Europe and South Korea. and will debut in the U.S. this autumn. On the European driving cycle, the EV with the larger battery is rated at 470 km (292 miles).