Photo: Unknown via electrek
Billboard wars are like chess or any other turn-based strategy game: one player makes a move, then we sit and wait for the comeback, which is usually better. The whole thing then escalates toward an apotheotic chess mate.
The thing is, fighting a billboard war with somebody who doesn't use billboards makes you look like a bit of a fool and a douchebag at the same time. It's almost like talking behind somebody's back. You can say whatever you want knowing they can't come back at you. The word "cowardly" suddenly springs to mind.
That's precisely what Hyundai did with some of its OOH advertising (via electrek) where it announces the arrival of the Kona electric SUV by calling out Elon Musk and asking for his move. Oh, and it all happens in Europe where Tesla isn't even that big of a deal and doesn't have such a strong presence, so make that double-coward.
Hyundai calls the Kona the world's "first electric compact SUV," which is absolutely correct. In fact, the world only has one battery-powered SUV - that would be the Tesla Model X - and one electric crossover - the recently introduced Jaguar I-PACE - and apart from the nature of their powertrains, they couldn't be more different from each other if they tried.
That being said, the Kona EV is a nice little vehicle, though just by glancing over its specs, you instantly know the Model Y has no other option than to be better. The South Korean model gets a maximum range of 292 miles (470 km) and just 204 hp from its single motor (yup, you're looking at a front-wheel-drive "first electric compact SUV"). Performance is predictably not that impressive, with the benchmark sprint from 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) taking 7.6 seconds.
There is no info on the Model Y, but given Tesla's recent unveilings - the Semi truck and the Roadster II - we expect it to be pretty spectacular. It should probably be to the X what the Model 3 is to the S - i.e. smaller and less expensive - but even so, we should see improved performance and greater range than with the Hyundai Kona.
Besides all this, there's another reason for which Hyundai's advertising is ill-advised. Tesla fans aren't going to fall for it - they'll say "good for you, Hyundai, but in Elon we trust so we'll wait for his car" - while non-Tesla fans will simply shrug and move on, oblivious to who Elon is and why they should care about his turn.
A much more lucrative approach would be to compare the Kona EV against conventional vehicles and try to persuade those people to join the revolution. Except no traditional manufacturer wants that right now, so Tesla should probably remain their punching bag for the foreseeable future.
That's precisely what Hyundai did with some of its OOH advertising (via electrek) where it announces the arrival of the Kona electric SUV by calling out Elon Musk and asking for his move. Oh, and it all happens in Europe where Tesla isn't even that big of a deal and doesn't have such a strong presence, so make that double-coward.
Hyundai calls the Kona the world's "first electric compact SUV," which is absolutely correct. In fact, the world only has one battery-powered SUV - that would be the Tesla Model X - and one electric crossover - the recently introduced Jaguar I-PACE - and apart from the nature of their powertrains, they couldn't be more different from each other if they tried.
That being said, the Kona EV is a nice little vehicle, though just by glancing over its specs, you instantly know the Model Y has no other option than to be better. The South Korean model gets a maximum range of 292 miles (470 km) and just 204 hp from its single motor (yup, you're looking at a front-wheel-drive "first electric compact SUV"). Performance is predictably not that impressive, with the benchmark sprint from 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) taking 7.6 seconds.
There is no info on the Model Y, but given Tesla's recent unveilings - the Semi truck and the Roadster II - we expect it to be pretty spectacular. It should probably be to the X what the Model 3 is to the S - i.e. smaller and less expensive - but even so, we should see improved performance and greater range than with the Hyundai Kona.
Besides all this, there's another reason for which Hyundai's advertising is ill-advised. Tesla fans aren't going to fall for it - they'll say "good for you, Hyundai, but in Elon we trust so we'll wait for his car" - while non-Tesla fans will simply shrug and move on, oblivious to who Elon is and why they should care about his turn.
A much more lucrative approach would be to compare the Kona EV against conventional vehicles and try to persuade those people to join the revolution. Except no traditional manufacturer wants that right now, so Tesla should probably remain their punching bag for the foreseeable future.
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