Photo: Stefan Baldauf/SB-Medien
In the case of European and global models, most of the development work is done by the Hyundai Motor Europe Technical Center in Russelsheim. No awards will be given to whoever guesses why the Kona EV was spied on the public roads of the city where Adam Opel set up shop back in 1862.
Though heavily camouflaged, the first thing that confirms this Kona is electrified is the design of the alloy wheels and the choice of tires. Then there’s the lower grille up front, which doesn’t hide any sort of radiator. Last, but certainly not least, the rear bumper is void of exhaust pipes.
Don’t let the cutout in the camouflage for the driver’s side quarter panel fool you, for the charging port door is located next to the left-hand headlight. EV skeptics need not worry because the Kona Electric will offer plenty of range and be capable of 240-volt Level 2 fast charging.
When Hyundai presented the Next Generation FCEV back in August in Seoul, the South Korean automaker confirmed the Kona EV will have a “range of 390 kilometers” and launch “in the first half of 2018.” In all likelihood, this means the e-powered Kona will arrive in the U.S. for the 2019 model year with a bit less range than the NEDC-rated 242 miles.
The 2018 Hyundai Kona EV will be reportedly offered with a choice of two batteries: 39.2 kWh as standard and 64.2 kWh available optionally. The latter could be NEDC-rated as many as 500 kilometers, though do bear in mind the New European Driving Cycle is as unrealistic as it gets.
Those who would rather internal combustion over electric get-up-and-go, the Kona will arrive in the United States in early 2018 with two engines: 2.0-liter four-cylinder and 1.6-liter turbo. In the U.S. and every other part of the world, the FWD Kona ships with a torsion-beam axle at the rear while the AWD Kona features a multilink arrangement.
Don’t let the cutout in the camouflage for the driver’s side quarter panel fool you, for the charging port door is located next to the left-hand headlight. EV skeptics need not worry because the Kona Electric will offer plenty of range and be capable of 240-volt Level 2 fast charging.
When Hyundai presented the Next Generation FCEV back in August in Seoul, the South Korean automaker confirmed the Kona EV will have a “range of 390 kilometers” and launch “in the first half of 2018.” In all likelihood, this means the e-powered Kona will arrive in the U.S. for the 2019 model year with a bit less range than the NEDC-rated 242 miles.
The 2018 Hyundai Kona EV will be reportedly offered with a choice of two batteries: 39.2 kWh as standard and 64.2 kWh available optionally. The latter could be NEDC-rated as many as 500 kilometers, though do bear in mind the New European Driving Cycle is as unrealistic as it gets.
Those who would rather internal combustion over electric get-up-and-go, the Kona will arrive in the United States in early 2018 with two engines: 2.0-liter four-cylinder and 1.6-liter turbo. In the U.S. and every other part of the world, the FWD Kona ships with a torsion-beam axle at the rear while the AWD Kona features a multilink arrangement.
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