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Hyundai Kona Electric Crossover Might Have 242-Mile (390 Km) Maximum Range

Hyundai is currently building two all-electric battery-powered vehicles, and they're both arguably poor by today's standards. However, the Korean brand seems determined to change that, and its first answer might be the recently released Kona crossover.
2018 Hyndai Kona 1 photo
Photo: Hyundai
The first electric vehicle built by Hyundai was the Soul EV, which, as the name suggests, was based on the hard-to-classify model that was controversial enough with the added alternative powertrain. It had a decent range at the time compared to offerings from other traditional carmakers, but ultimately it fell short of the market's needs.

The second and more recent one is the Ioniq EV, a $29,500 base priced sedan that made its name by becoming the most efficient electric vehicle sold in the US. Sadly, while that might make the headlines, it's no substitute for the lousy 124-mile maximum range obtained thanks to a 28 kWh battery pack.

But just as the Ioniq EV was announced, a Hyundai official said that "124 is not enough, and we have a plan to extend that to more than 200 by 2018." Well, it seems like the Koreans are on schedule as rumors claim that the recently introduced Kona crossover will spawn an electric version with a range of over 200 miles.

242 to be exact (according to AutoGuide), which would be enough to place it above the Chevrolet Bolt, the current leader in the reasonably-priced EV sector. The all-electric Kona should enter production sometime next year, and given its attractive design and Hyundai's great leaps in build quality over the past decade, there's no reason why it shouldn't be a hit.

Those who prefer a more liquid fuel for their zero emissions vehicles should get the option for a fuel cell model as well, even though there isn't any official confirmation yet.

If the rumors turn out to be true, it would mean Hyundai was true to its word and delivered the promised range in the specified timeframe. In today's times, that's a very rare feat.
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About the author: Vlad Mitrache
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"Boy meets car, boy loves car, boy gets journalism degree and starts job writing and editing at a car magazine" - 5/5. (Vlad Mitrache if he was a movie)
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