Kona Electric

Make
Hyundai
Segment
SUV

When you look at cars like the Tesla Model S, there's no denying the allure of stunning design, instant acceleration, and abundant torque, but with an official EPA range of 402 miles, a cross-country road trip requires lots of stops for recharging of the car's batteries. This range anxiety affects potential buyers, but what if a manufacturer could offer you a car with well over 600 miles of range? Well, that's exactly the milestone three Hyundai Kona Electric crossovers have just managed. Three regular production models took to the Lausitzring track to test their range and all three comfortably achieved over 1,000 kilometers on a single charge. That's more than 620 miles.

The three test cars achieved 1,018.7, 1,024.1, and 1,026 miles respectively on their hypermiling challenge. That's 632, 636, and 637 miles, respectively. Hyundai goes on to say that, "in relation to the 64 kWh battery capacity, each individual value represents another record, as the cars' power consumption of 6.28, 6.25 and 6.24 kWh/100 km was well below the standard value of 14.7 kWh/100 km determined by the WLTP." Not bad considering that 484 kilometers (300.7 miles) were all that was expected according to the WLTP standard. This isn't just some unofficial record either, as Dekra was on hand to monitor the cars, to oversee driver changes, and of course, to ensure that there was nothing unusual or unethical about the test.

The driving was done at city speeds of approximately 18 mph, and while infotainment and climate control systems remained switched off to maximize efficiency, it's a fairly real-world test of what can be achieved without constant stop-start traffic. Another notable anecdote is that "at zero percent, the car continues to drive for several hundred meters, then drives out without power and finally stops with a small jerk because the electric parking brake is activated for safety reasons." With sales already proving lucrative even before the arrival of a hotter N model, the Kona is looking better and better for all kinds of owners. After this latest achievement, we have no doubt that Hyundai's new all-electric Ioniq brand will build on the success of the Kona and other models, becoming a force to be reckoned with.