Once considered an eco-conscious option with little to no performance credentials, electric vehicles have been proving their worth by capturing various records. The Porsche Taycan performed the world's longest EV drift, the Volkswagen ID.R set the all-time record at Pikes Peak, and most recently, a modified Tesla Model S Plaid set a lap time at Laguna Seca that outgunned the Porsche 911 GT2 RS. Still, after all these accolades, many people are hesitant to buy an EV due to range anxiety. Hyundai wants to eliminate that fear.

Teaming up with Spanish newspaper EL PAIS, Hyundai attempted a new EV range record on the urban cycle. The 2022 Hyundai Kona Electric managed to travel 790 kilometers (just under 491 miles) on a single charge, setting a new record and beating the WLTP homologated range by 130 kilometers (just under 81 miles). This is less than the 600+ miles traveled in a previous record, but that was on a circuit and didn't have any traffic.

The Kona Electric includes a 64 kWh battery pack, enabling a 258-mile range on the EPA cycle here in the United States. European WLTP testing cycles are measured very differently, hence why the Kona was able to travel so far for this record. For reference, the Tesla Model S Long Range boasts the longest EPA-estimated driving range of any vehicle sold in the US at 405 miles. The Kona exceeded that figure with a much smaller battery.

With the battery fully charged, Hyundai says the Kona Electric drove for a total of 15 hours and 17 minutes in regular Madrid traffic. Over that time, the vehicle traveled at an average speed of 32.43 miles per hour. EVs are notably more efficient at lower speeds when the electric motors don't need to work as hard to cut through the air. The Kona Electric consumed 8.2 kWh per 62.1 miles (100 kilometers) at this lower speed, well below the WLTP standard.

The drivers sealed the car's charging port and began their route at the Automobile Research Center of the Technical University of Madrid. The test route included the M30 ring road plus the arrival and departure at the university. "This record-breaking test goes to show that our environmentally friendly, all-electric SUV, Kona Electric, exceeds expectations for everyday driving," says Andreas-Christoph Hofmann Vice President Marketing and Product at Hyundai Motor Europe. "Here's proof that Hyundai Motor is a leader in electromobility, and that range should no longer be a reason not to switch to a BEV."

The Kona Electric still could not exceed the Toyota's hydrogen fuel cell record with the Mirai, traveling 623 miles on a single tank.