Hyundai Kona Electric - 64 kWh with range up to 470km coming later this year

Forums › Transport (cars, bikes and boats) › Hyundai Kona Electric - 64 kWh with range up to 470km coming later this year

1 | ... | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | ... | 31

102 posts

Master Geek

#2129288 19-Nov-2018 10:55

KiwiME:

Yep, that's me, the white base model. I don't have anywhere to charge at home but fortunately that charger is only a two minute walk from my flat. I use the AC side for an hour or two early some mornings and that's practical because there is only a $0.40/kWh charge, no per minute. The 50kW DC charger still works concurrently if someone else comes along for a fast charge while I'm there.

I have not ever seen another Kona EV and no one has inquired about this one. But if I hang around the charger people seem to come out of the woodwork to ask general EV questions, questions that I'm only one step ahead of being able to answer since the car still has under 1000 km on it.

Have a good drive Monday. Napier-Taupo should use only about 35% if you're careful.

As I say, my brother was very excited to see yours charging recently...while I was still waiting for mine to be delivered!

In just two weeks of ownership, I just clocked over 1000kms yesterday...it's all been very pleasant driving.

On the open road, I found it sat really well...and even on the winding bits of the Napier-Taupo Road, I never felt the tyres were losing their grip (some reviews have suggested that the Eco Tyres are not very grippy). While I am no rally driver, I don't drive like a "Nana" either, so I like my cars to grip the road reasonably well.

I'm expecting some rain on my drive back to Auckland this afternoon...it will be interesting to see how my Kona copes with that.

How convenient that the Dickens Street charger is only a 2 minute walk from your home! I'm not as lucky as you, so I've had to pay for my own one in my garage at home.

I know you'll be enjoying your Kona as much as I am mine....maybe I will see you when I return for Xmas in Napier :-)

Mighty Ape

Affiliate link

Affiliate link: Shop Mighty Ape for electronics, games, computers books and more.

paulchinnz

Circumspice
720 posts

Ultimate Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#2129306 19-Nov-2018 11:06

Great to hear your experiences.
Which of the Elite features (that's not in the base) stand out as being worth the extra $?

justin5

102 posts

Master Geek

#2129340 19-Nov-2018 11:37

paulchinnz: Great to hear your experiences.
Which of the Elite features (that's not in the base) stand out as being worth the extra $?

I am loving the Heads Up Display, the Heat Pump AirCon, and the upgraded sound system...the three main reasons I bought the Elite :-)

KiwiME

197 posts

Master Geek

#2129576 19-Nov-2018 17:01

I had no practical choice in buying the base model since I bought it off the showroom floor, however the omission of the heat pump would have been a deal breaker for me since it's such an obvious feature for an EV to have, even if it's not technically a big deal in the Hawkes Bay.

There is no heat pump on the current NZ eGolf (my initial choice) and it's an option on the i3 (second choice.) The official Hyundai brochure says both Kona EV models have it so that's why I was OK with the standard trim. There has been some discussion yesterday on FB as to whether it's actually present but inspection and comparison with the Elite (in photos) says it is and clearly the heater core is included in the refrigerant pipework. In fact it's the most complicated HVAC system I've ever seen. I understand the current crop are Irish-spec, so perhaps that explains why it's included.

With 2 weeks experience now I would have liked to have the Elite's ventilated seats and LED headlights (as the halogens are pretty average) but I don't need the heads-up display or additional inch on the media unit. Neither media units on the current crop seem to have NAV but both have Apple CarPlay / Android Auto which is good enough, if not better for obvious reasons.

Personally I don't have much time for the camera-based options (speed limit sign reading, lane keeping assist, lane departure warning) but am OK with the active cruise / active recuperation, all of which both models have, despite what the brochure says.

I really like the brightness of the centre display and the reversing camera since rear visibility is mediocre. The driver's seat electric lumbar adjustment is an unexpected plus to have on the standard model as well. Being a one-driver car, I don't need memory seats.

Overall the Kona is very nice to drive, fairly quiet at road speed and handles well. I think it has a bit more power than it actually needs (who would ever say that?) but in ECO mode the go-pedal action is moderated to reduce the chance of "loss of traction" which otherwise happens anytime you punch it at low speeds, and in the rain up to around 30 km/h.

Whether the Elite is worth $6k is hard to say. The base model is a $35k car with a $40k electric drivetrain so the Elite specs-up the interior more appropriately to the total price. What sold me in the end over the eGolf and i3 is the 400 km range all by itself, nothing else, the benchmark for me being if I can drive from Napier to Taupo and back on one charge, which it does easily, 290 km.

justin5

102 posts

Master Geek

#2129791 19-Nov-2018 20:00

KiwiME:

I had no practical choice in buying the base model since I bought it off the showroom floor, however the omission of the heat pump would have been a deal breaker for me since it's such an obvious feature for an EV to have, even if it's not technically a big deal in the Hawkes Bay.

There is no heat pump on the current NZ eGolf (my initial choice) and it's an option on the i3 (second choice.) The official Hyundai brochure says both Kona EV models have it so that's why I was OK with the standard trim. There has been some discussion yesterday on FB as to whether it's actually present but inspection and comparison with the Elite (in photos) says it is and clearly the heater core is included in the refrigerant pipework. In fact it's the most complicated HVAC system I've ever seen. I understand the current crop are Irish-spec, so perhaps that explains why it's included.

With 2 weeks experience now I would have liked to have the Elite's ventilated seats and LED headlights (as the halogens are pretty average) but I don't need the heads-up display or additional inch on the media unit. Neither media units on the current crop seem to have NAV but both have Apple CarPlay / Android Auto which is good enough, if not better for obvious reasons.

Personally I don't have much time for the camera-based options (speed limit sign reading, lane keeping assist, lane departure warning) but am OK with the active cruise / active recuperation, all of which both models have, despite what the brochure says.

I really like the brightness of the centre display and the reversing camera since rear visibility is mediocre. The driver's seat electric lumbar adjustment is an unexpected plus to have on the standard model as well. Being a one-driver car, I don't need memory seats.

Overall the Kona is very nice to drive, fairly quiet at road speed and handles well. I think it has a bit more power than it actually needs (who would ever say that?) but in ECO mode the go-pedal action is moderated to reduce the chance of "loss of traction" which otherwise happens anytime you punch it at low speeds, and in the rain up to around 30 km/h.

Whether the Elite is worth $6k is hard to say. The base model is a $35k car with a $40k electric drivetrain so the Elite specs-up the interior more appropriately to the total price. What sold me in the end over the eGolf and i3 is the 400 km range all by itself, nothing else, the benchmark for me being if I can drive from Napier to Taupo and back on one charge, which it does easily, 290 km.

Great you have all the extra bits I thought only the Elite had.

You have a great car AND it looks VERY nice in white.

I too considered the i3, then the eGolf, plus I had my name down for a Tesla Model 3. Waiting (and waiting and waiting) for the Model 3 (and crunching some numbers to work out it will cost over 100k in NZ with Auto-Pilot and tinted windows and any other colour than black) sold me on the Kona.

Plus, the practicality of a hatch/compact-SUV suits me much better, over a sedan.

Hope to meet you in Napier sometime :-)

Aredwood

3885 posts

Uber Geek

#2129852 19-Nov-2018 22:45

Glad that even the base model has heatpump heating. As not having heatpump heating in an EV is just straight out penny pinching in my opinion. (assuming of course that aircon is fitted). As apart from the addition of a reversing valve (which doesn't cost much compared to what the compressor costs). Not much else extra is needed to go from cooling only to both heating and cooling.

Then again, maybe the Kona uses a combined heatpump system for both interior HVAC, and battery / motor thermal management. As that would add alot more complexity compared to having separate systems for interior HVAC and battery / motor thermal management.

Now that I am thinking about it, Installing a reversing valve into the aircon system of my diesel van (Mercedes Vito). Would be an awesome method of solving the problem of poor heater performance when the engine is cold. As heater performance is terrible when stuck in rush hour traffic (engine mostly idling, and it is not producing enough heat). While a heatpump would allow me to use the waste heat from all of the other ICE cars around me that are stuck in the same traffic.

justin5

102 posts

Master Geek

#2130504 20-Nov-2018 17:18

KiwiME:

PS That Kona looks VERY smart in Emerson Street ;-)

justin5

102 posts

Master Geek

#2152353 30-Dec-2018 18:50

justin5:

KiwiME:

PS That Kona looks VERY smart in Emerson Street ;-)

paulchinnz

Circumspice
720 posts

Ultimate Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#2181254 16-Feb-2019 14:40

Kia Motors NZ has just announced prices for the Niro EV, 2 variants, each $6k less than the corresponding Kona EV variants i.e. Niro ~10% cheaper than Kona. It's particularly odd given the Niro EV is 10% more expensive than the Kona in Norway.

justin5

102 posts

Master Geek

#2181298 16-Feb-2019 17:12

Great to see the pricing for the Niro....it will be a great EV just like my Kona is. Plus, it's bigger so will suit some people more.

The pricing for the larger battery Niro starts at the same price as a base Kona, though....so no difference there BUT maybe the Niro will have better specs?

I can't wait for both the bigger and smaller battery Niros to hit the market...you can gaurantee they will be great vehicles for easy every day use :-)

paulchinnz:

Kia Motors NZ has just announced prices for the Niro EV, 2 variants, each $6k less than the corresponding Kona EV variants i.e. Niro ~10% cheaper than Kona. It's particularly odd given the Niro EV is 10% more expensive than the Kona in Norway.

Dingbatt

5872 posts

Uber Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#2181318 16-Feb-2019 18:58

Still a 'Lotto' car I'm afraid. Would love an E-Niro but just can't justify the money. Come on James, where's the incentives?

“We’ve arranged a society based on science and technology, in which nobody understands anything about science technology. Carl Sagan 1996

justin5

102 posts

Master Geek

#2181323 16-Feb-2019 19:13

I agree that it is still a LOTTO car...when we really need EVs to be cheaper than petrol cars, the Niro still offers nothing near that.

I wish EVs were cheaper in NZ...maybe government subsidies like Norway has had would help?

Dingbatt: Still a 'Lotto' car I'm afraid. Would love an E-Niro but just can't justify the money. Come on James, where's the incentives?

paulchinnz

Circumspice
720 posts

Ultimate Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#2181328 16-Feb-2019 19:26

@justin5 well spotted - duh I forgot the lower spec Niro EV has the 39 kWh battery. So not apples with apples re the Niro EV variants and Kona EV variants in NZ.

justin5

102 posts

Master Geek

#2181329 16-Feb-2019 19:29

The Niro will still be a brilliant EV, I reckon...if you can afford it, though

paulchinnz:

@justin5 well spotted - duh I forgot the lower spec Niro EV has the 39 kWh battery. So not apples with apples re the Niro EV variants and Kona EV variants in NZ.

justin5

102 posts

Master Geek

#2181332 16-Feb-2019 19:35

Is there a new discussion group for Kia Niro EVs in NZ on here anywhere?

I'd love to join and provide my thoughts on the closely related Kona I own :-)

paulchinnz:

@justin5 well spotted - duh I forgot the lower spec Niro EV has the 39 kWh battery. So not apples with apples re the Niro EV variants and Kona EV variants in NZ.

1 | ... | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | ... | 31