Everyone is talking about the arrival of the electric revolution, but so many companies don’t go outside their comfort zone enough to make the switch from ICE to EV a bit more interesting for the regular consumer. On the other hand, Hyundai simply takes a page out of Tesla's playbook and seeks to entice U.S. buyers of the Ioniq Electric and Kona Electric with a little bit of complimentary charging.
Unlike Tesla, the South Korean automaker doesn’t have its own proprietary alternative to the famous Supercharger network, so it recently partnered with the Electrify America fast-charging network for this new project.
According to the company, 2021 Kona Electric and Ioniq Electric owners can use the Electrify America app to conveniently locate one of the 2,400+ ultra-fast chargers across the country and tap a complimentary charging quota of 250 kWh. It's worth noting that 96% of Americans are said to live within 120 miles (193 km) of a station.
Based on the EPA range estimates for the pair of EV models (258 miles/415 km for Kona and 170 miles/274 km for Ioniq), either of them will be able to cover approximately 1,000 miles (1,609 km) without spending a single dollar. By the way, it may seem odd that both cover the same distance, but the calculations took into consideration the battery capacity difference, as the Kona has a 64-kWh pack and the Ioniq has to make do with just 38.3 kWh.
“We know EV interest and sales are expanding nationwide,” said Olabisi Boyle, vice president, Product Planning and Mobility Strategy, Hyundai Motor North America. “Our Kona and Ioniq EV owners are getting additional peace of mind when heading out on longer trips with prepaid access to Electrify America’s national fast-charging network.”
The network’s chargers can provide charging speeds of up to 150 and 350 kW to vehicles with capable technology. We certainly hope Hyundai will expand the program towards more of its electrified models, perhaps even the all-new Tucson Plug-in Hybrid that’s going to become available this summer.
According to the company, 2021 Kona Electric and Ioniq Electric owners can use the Electrify America app to conveniently locate one of the 2,400+ ultra-fast chargers across the country and tap a complimentary charging quota of 250 kWh. It's worth noting that 96% of Americans are said to live within 120 miles (193 km) of a station.
Based on the EPA range estimates for the pair of EV models (258 miles/415 km for Kona and 170 miles/274 km for Ioniq), either of them will be able to cover approximately 1,000 miles (1,609 km) without spending a single dollar. By the way, it may seem odd that both cover the same distance, but the calculations took into consideration the battery capacity difference, as the Kona has a 64-kWh pack and the Ioniq has to make do with just 38.3 kWh.
“We know EV interest and sales are expanding nationwide,” said Olabisi Boyle, vice president, Product Planning and Mobility Strategy, Hyundai Motor North America. “Our Kona and Ioniq EV owners are getting additional peace of mind when heading out on longer trips with prepaid access to Electrify America’s national fast-charging network.”
The network’s chargers can provide charging speeds of up to 150 and 350 kW to vehicles with capable technology. We certainly hope Hyundai will expand the program towards more of its electrified models, perhaps even the all-new Tucson Plug-in Hybrid that’s going to become available this summer.