Hyundai brings significant improvements to the Kona EV over the previous-generation model. We share our first impressions of the 2024 Hyundai Kona Electric, the power plant, driving dynamics, controls, and what it has to offer for buyers looking to purchase a sensible electric vehicle. Also, we discuss why it is important for EV owners to pay close attention to the 12-volt battery in their electric cars. Our experts had fun making up their own frankencar, choosing the motor, transmission, chassis, interior, and body from any car they wished and making their own creation.
More info on the 2024 Hyundai Kona here:
Ratings and test results on every car CR purchases and tests:
SHOW NOTES
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00:00 – Introduction
00:16 – First Impressions: 2024 Hyundai Kona Electric
01:57 – Cabin and Controls
03:07 – Compared to Gas Powered Vehicle
04:00 – Driving and Power
04:55 – Some Compromises
05:38 – Powertrain
06:19 – Regenerative Braking
08:42 – Cabin Noise
10:26 – Charging Systems
14:18 – Question #1: Do EVs have 12-volt batteries like regular cars, and do they need to be serviced?
18:18 – Question #2: If you could design a car where you source the powertrain, infotainment, interior, chassis, etc from any automaker, what would you make?
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First Drive: Redesigned 2024 Hyundai Kona Has Grown Larger and Gained New Features
2024 Hyundai Kona Electric
Automakers Move to a Common Plug Standard to Allow Their EVs to Use Tesla Superchargers
How to Find All the Available Electric Car Incentives
Hybrids/EV Buying Guide
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Unless there is a reasonable, set price for battery replacement cost, I can’t see myself driving EVs. I do not want a situation where a ding in the battery compartment is going to cost me +$40,000~$60,000 to fix….
I am waiting for a gas powered car that gets 100 mpg and that I can refuel at home. Oh and a set price for replacing the engine and transmission ten years or more into the future would be nice.
That is unlikely to happen for a variety of reasons.
For starters Batteries on on BEVs are required to have an 8 year warranty, and are therefore designed to go past that.
Second, unless you have a Tesla or something with a huge (non-servicable) battery pack. You won’t pay that much for a new one.
Costs for new batteries are continuously dropping and unlike an engine the cost of replacement is mostly in the parts.
So a battery pack might total your car early if you get in an accident, but the odds of getting the kind of bill you are talking about for replacement is so low, I wouldn’t factor it into a new car purchase.
Also, just going to say, this might make a good viewer question.
@@roguedogx Yep. To add on, it’s 8yr/100,000mi minimum in the USA, and in ZEV states (look it up) they come with 10yr/150,000mi battery & powertrain warranties.
If a battery test shows that range has degraded below 80% the manufacturer has to fix or replace the battery for that warranty.
People hear absurd battery replacement costs for brand new vehicles and think that’s going to be an unexpected cost, but the reality is that after 8 years the cost of rebuilt warrantied batteries will be significantly cheaper. Just look at the options for older Leafs and Priuses. Folks had the same worries about those prices but they’re very affordable now.
It’s not just the adapter it’s also the software in the vehicle. Is this OTA or a trip to the dealer. Wait for a NACS plug. The “adapter” could get left behind & affect resale value. After the free is gone the Ford NACS adapter is $230.
I had a 2012 Hyundai. It was stolen last year. Never again.
We need more station wagons. Was glad to see that came up as a design.
I will most likely lease my 3rd Kona this fall — it may actually be cheaper to lease a Kona EV Limited trim over the ICE Limited after both my Federal and State tax credits off the MSRP. In addition, my local electric utility is offering rebates on the cost of buying Level 2 chargers and installing them in your home. With solar roof panels, my electric usage is 68% green energy, plus I would save money over an ICE version. I do love the new Kona top trim the best. Hyundai designed the Kona as an EV first, then put the engine under the hood so it was meant to be an EV crossover! I even get a Frunk and a Trunk. By the fall, I’m hoping that Kona EV charging is converted to NACS, as where I live in the Mid-Atlantic area, lots of Wawa gas stations with Tesla superchargers.
Jim Farley said that Ford’s NACS adapter is free!
The 12 volts battery problem is a design problem. There’s no reason for it to be inherent to EVs. The 12 volt battery in my Prius made it 11 years before I had to replace it. It never has a high load because it never has to crank over an engine. Its main purpose is to start the computer which switches on the main battery connector. It was also stored in the trunk so didn’t experience the corrosion you see on a battery in an engine compartment.
You’d think they’d come up with a converter that would take a fraction of the juice in the big battery, and use it to keep the 12V full.
Because it’s mounted inside the passenger compartment, the battery in your Prius is an AGM, which comes with some extra resistance to damage when discharged.
A flooded lead acid battery is far more prone to damaging cells when deeply discharged.
EVs are typically equipped with cellular telematic systems that are always on so they’re constantly draining. People think keeping their EVSE plugged in while they leave the car parked for a week or more is keeping the 12V battery charged, so they come back from vacation stunned that their battery is dead. Without the car being turned on (by closing the traction battery contactor) the DC-DC converter doesn’t start up, so the telematics just steadily drain the battery while you’re away.
Having the contactor engage to maintain the 12V battery creates a shock safety problem for maintenance.
Factoring in mfg incentives and the federal/state tax credits will likely drive some great lease deals for those looking for a good commuter car.
is it easily theft like the older vehicles?
I’ve never had an issue being able to see all of the information displayed on our Ioniq 5 instrument panel. Your problem is not universal among owners.
13:25 and that bit has me really confused.
You’d think that the company that makes it’s living completely off charging would be good at keeping the stations running. Afterall every minute the machines are down is a financial hit for the company.
So logically you’d think they would have figured out how to minimize downtimr by now.
Seriously, who is managing these charges?
Q2: Dodge Intrepid PHEV. C5 X Body with Charger headlights and taillights, interior from Peugeot 3008, Steering wheel upper section from 2024+ Peugeot 3008, lower section from Ram 1500. Hurricane i6 engine paired with Panasonic EV battery.
J3400
Some years ago a student who worked at Ford said they went with uncomfortable seats to help drivers stay awake.
Wrong. It’s to save $.
Can you recommend a car that is doing well in terms of cabin noise? Electric, hybrid or gas? Thanks
This Kona isn’t worth 38k let alone 30k. A 72 month loan at 3.9% is over 600. You won’t make it past the loan and it will be worth 5k
The mustang and camero both used to have *way less* than 200hp but now 201HP is just ‘ok’ in a sub-compact? Wt%?
Then praises the price but complains about decision made to keep the price down…lol. I think they’re getting numb reviewing too many vehicles. If they used premium materials throughout it wouldn’t be 36k plus destination. It would be 40k plus.
That crooked front license plate is breaking my brain.
When I drove a friend’s Hyundai plug-in hybrid with paddles to control the regen, I would turn to “full coast” while driving at speed, but then use the paddles to “downshift” and slow as i approached traffic lights and signs. It was fun and I got the best of both worlds.
The 2024 Kona EV is at the top of my new car shopping list. I like its sister, the Kia Niro EV, but the Kona has physical buttons and no shiny piano black. And I think the Kona might even have room for a space saver spare tire. I’m looking forward to test driving one.