Hyundai has started
accepting pre-orders for the 2019 Kona Electric crossover in Canada, ahead of
the United States. The automaker’s Canadian website has opened up a pre-order
section and customers can secure their Kona Electric with a US$ 1000 deposit.
According to a
member of the Inside EVs forums, Canadian pricing for the vehicle will be
released in August or September. Outside of South Korea, Norway and the United
Kingdom are the only two countries where pricing for the Kona Electric has been
announced. However, both countries give us a good idea of what the vehicle will
set back customers in Canada.
In Norway, the 64
kW version starts at the equivalent of US$ 39,813 while in the United Kingdom, the
39 kWh version is priced from US$ 39,090 and the 64 kW option is priced from US$ 48,100. Hyundai Canada hasn’t announced which of these battery options it will
sell but Inside EVs suggests the 64 kW battery will be the only available
option. This particular model offers 400 km of range and pairs
the battery with an electric motor delivering 201 hp and 291 lb-ft of torque.
Hyundai claims that the Kona Electric returns 117 MPGe, making it more
efficient than the Nissan Leaf, Tesla Model S, and Tesla Model X.
The
Hyundai Kona Electric comes with a 100 kW DC fast-charger that can top up the
battery to 80 per cent capacity in 54 minutes. There’s no word on when the
United States will receive the Kona Electric but it shouldn’t be long after
Canada. Predictably, the CARB states, including California, will receive it
first.
