The Hyundai Kona Electric is a stylish, compact, electric SUV
Introduction to the Hyundai Kona Electric
The Hyundai Kona Electric is already very popular on UK roads.
The Kona EV is a 100% battery electric vehicle BEV (no engine, just an electric motor and a battery). It builds on the success of Hyundai’s first electric car, the Ioniq. Like the Kia e-Niro – now called the Niro EV – the Kona Electric is one of those cars that helped accelerate the uptake of EVs dramatically.
Why? Because when it first came out it didn’t cost an arm and a leg, and had excellent range for its price, especially the 64 kWh version. It will also save you hundreds of pounds a year on fuel compared to a petrol / diesel car.
The Kona had a refresh in 2021, with the front looking even more sleek than it did before. The underlying EV platform hasn’t changed much over the years, though, and the Kona now faces plenty of competition.
Read our review below for a quick overview of the car and its essential electric stats.
Positives
- Solid range in miles (64 kWh model particularly)
- Comfortable driving position
- Good technology – easy to access
- Excellent road handling – lovely to drive
- Plenty of electric power and torque – get up to speed quickly
Negatives
- Boot could be bigger
- Its EV platform is a little long in the tooth
- Rapid DC charging slower than rivals
| Trim / Variant | Price | Drivetrain |
| Advance FWD (48 kWh) | £34,995 | Front-wheel-drive |
| Advance FWD (65 kWh) | £38,595 | Front-wheel-drive |
| N Line FWD (65 kWh) | £40,395 | Front-wheel-drive |
| N Line S FWD (65 kWh) | £43,095 | Front-wheel-drive |
| Ultimate FWD (65 kWh) | £43,095 | Front-wheel-drive |
Batteries & Range
How far can you drive on a full charge of the battery in the Hyundai Kona Electric? In ideal conditions, you should be able to achieve the official ‘WLTP’ range in miles. However in winter, for example, electric car batteries don’t perform as well, and actual range will be lower.
This table shows both the more optimistic WLTP range, and a rough, more likely ‘average’ range for the various versions of the Kona Electric:
| Trim / Variant | Battery (useable) | Average Range | WLTP Range |
| Advance FWD (48 kWh) | 48.4 kWh | 192 miles | 234 miles |
| Advance FWD (65 kWh) | 65.4 kWh | 262 miles | 319 miles |
| N Line FWD (65 kWh) | 65.4 kWh | 231 miles | 282 miles |
| N Line S FWD (65 kWh) | 65.4 kWh | 231 miles | 282 miles |
| Ultimate FWD (65 kWh) | 65.4 kWh | 231 miles | 282 miles |
Efficiency
We are all used to ‘miles per gallon’ of petrol or diesel when thinking about efficiency in traditional cars. With EVs, you need to replace ‘gallon’ with ‘kWh’. 1 kWh = 1 unit of electricity. So the ‘miles per kWh’ measure tells you how many miles you can go on 1 kWh of electricity – the higher the number the better.
Here’s data for the Kona, together with an equivalent in miles per gallon (yes, electric cars really are that efficient!):
| Trim / Variant | Efficiency (electric) | Efficiency ('MPG') |
| Advance FWD (48 kWh) | 3.96 miles per kWh | 159 miles per gallon |
| Advance FWD (65 kWh) | 4.00 miles per kWh | 160 miles per gallon |
| N Line FWD (65 kWh) | 3.54 miles per kWh | 141 miles per gallon |
| N Line S FWD (65 kWh) | 3.54 miles per kWh | 141 miles per gallon |
| Ultimate FWD (65 kWh) | 3.54 miles per kWh | 141 miles per gallon |
Hyundai Kona Electric Charging Times & Costs
If you have off-street parking, the best and cheapest place to charge your Kona Electric is at home. Depending on your home energy tariff, you’ll either charge at a standard flat rate or at a lower off-peak rate. The 0-100% charge times below are a ‘worst case’ scenario – typically you will charge 1-2 hours a day, or maybe go for a longer charge on just a couple of days a week.
Charging at Home on an Off-peak rate of 10p per kWh
| Trim / Variant | Charge Time 0-100% | Cost per mile |
| Advance FWD (48 kWh) | 6 hours 32 minutes | 2.5p |
| Advance FWD (65 kWh) | 8 hours 50 minutes | 2.5p |
| N Line FWD (65 kWh) | 8 hours 50 minutes | 2.8p |
| N Line S FWD (65 kWh) | 8 hours 50 minutes | 2.8p |
| Ultimate FWD (65 kWh) | 8 hours 50 minutes | 2.8p |
Charging at Home on a Peak rate of 34p per kWh
| Trim / Variant | Charge Time 0-100% | Cost per mile |
| Advance FWD (48 kWh) | 6 hours 32 minutes | 8.6p |
| Advance FWD (65 kWh) | 8 hours 50 minutes | 8.5p |
| N Line FWD (65 kWh) | 8 hours 50 minutes | 9.6p |
| N Line S FWD (65 kWh) | 8 hours 50 minutes | 9.6p |
| Ultimate FWD (65 kWh) | 8 hours 50 minutes | 9.6p |
When you’re on a trip, you can get a quick boost at a rapid charger. These vary in terms of charging speed and you are also limited by the Kona’s maximum charging rate. Take the 10-80% charging times with a pinch of salt – the charging rate will gradually decrease and times are often longer.
Charging in Public at a 50 kW Rapid Charger at a rate of 50p per kWh
| Trim / Variant | Max DC charge | Charge Time 10-80% | Cost per mile |
| Advance FWD (48 kWh) | 75 kW | 27 minutes | 12.6p |
| Advance FWD (65 kWh) | 105 kW | 26 minutes | 12.5p |
| N Line FWD (65 kWh) | 105 kW | 26 minutes | 14.1p |
| N Line S FWD (65 kWh) | 105 kW | 26 minutes | 14.1p |
| Ultimate FWD (65 kWh) | 105 kW | 26 minutes | 14.1p |
Charging in Public at a 150 kW Rapid Charger at a rate of 60p per kWh
| Trim / Variant | Max DC charge | Charge Time 10-80% | Cost per mile |
| Advance FWD (48 kWh) | 75 kW | 27 minutes | 15.1p |
| Advance FWD (65 kWh) | 105 kW | 26 minutes | 15.0p |
| N Line FWD (65 kWh) | 105 kW | 26 minutes | 17.0p |
| N Line S FWD (65 kWh) | 105 kW | 26 minutes | 17.0p |
| Ultimate FWD (65 kWh) | 105 kW | 26 minutes | 17.0p |
Charging in Public at a 350 kW Rapid Charger at a rate of 70p per kWh
| Trim / Variant | Max DC charge | Charge Time 10-80% | Cost per mile |
| Advance FWD (48 kWh) | 75 kW | 27 minutes | 17.7p |
| Advance FWD (65 kWh) | 105 kW | 26 minutes | 17.5p |
| N Line FWD (65 kWh) | 105 kW | 26 minutes | 19.8p |
| N Line S FWD (65 kWh) | 105 kW | 26 minutes | 19.8p |
| Ultimate FWD (65 kWh) | 105 kW | 26 minutes | 19.8p |
Performance
The Kona Electric, like all pure electric cars, has its wheels turned by one or more electric motors. The motors themselves are powered by a lithium-ion battery. Battery + electric motor is a great combination, giving you instant torque with no gears to change.
You’ll find the Hyundai eerily quiet after an internal combustion engine. Here are the performance stats:
| Trim / Variant | Top Speed | 0-62 mph |
| Advance FWD (48 kWh) | 101 mph | 8.8 seconds |
| Advance FWD (65 kWh) | 107 mph | 7.8 seconds |
| N Line FWD (65 kWh) | 107 mph | 7.8 seconds |
| N Line S FWD (65 kWh) | 107 mph | 7.8 seconds |
| Ultimate FWD (65 kWh) | 107 mph | 7.8 seconds |
Boot Space & Cargo Volume
| Trim / Variant | Boot Space | Cargo Volume (seats down) |
| Advance FWD (48 kWh) | 466 litres | 1,300 litres |
| Advance FWD (65 kWh) | 466 litres | 1,300 litres |
| N Line FWD (65 kWh) | 466 litres | 1,300 litres |
| N Line S FWD (65 kWh) | 466 litres | 1,300 litres |
| Ultimate FWD (65 kWh) | 466 litres | 1,300 litres |
Dimensions
| Trim / Variant | Length | Width | Height |
| Advance FWD (48 kWh) | 4355 mm | 1825 mm | 1580 mm |
| Advance FWD (65 kWh) | 4355 mm | 1825 mm | 1580 mm |
| N Line FWD (65 kWh) | 4355 mm | 1825 mm | 1580 mm |
| N Line S FWD (65 kWh) | 4355 mm | 1825 mm | 1580 mm |
| Ultimate FWD (65 kWh) | 4355 mm | 1825 mm | 1580 mm |
Next Steps
We hope you’ve enjoyed this brief analysis of the Hyundai Kona Electric. We’ve tried to focus mainly on potentially unfamiliar electric car related items – such as batteries, range and charging – rather than trot out the usual “The car’s B-pillar is 3mm wider than the previous model.”
Where to next?
- Narrow down your EV search in a systematic way using our EV Car Selector tool
- Read more about the Kona Electric at Hyundai’s UK website
- If you’re ready to go, consider leasing the Kona from a low-cost broker
