Nine things you always wanted to know about the Kona Electric… but were afraid to ask
Hyundai is arguably leading the mainstream EV charge Down Under with its Ioniq and Kona Electric models. And you're interested enough to be asking us questions... So here are the answersUnless you’ve been living under a rock you can’t help but have noticed the furore sparked in the lead up to the Federal election on the subject of EVs. Hyundai’s Kona Electric Highlander is the latest model to launch into the still shallow pool of a style of vehicle about which there seem to be many more questions than answers.
Here’s our attempt at answering many of the questions you've asked about the Hyundai Kona Electric.
A: To run all the usual ancillaries and accessories such as the radio, airbags, dash, wipers, lights etc., some of which are shared with the conventional petrol-engined Kona and are designed to run on 12-volt.
The Kona doesn’t have an engine, at least not as we understand a car’s engine, so why does it have a conventional-looking radiator?
A: The Hyundai Kona Electric's radiator helps control heat generated by the energy transfer from its battery to the electric motor. The car’s high-voltage battery is also water cooled to maintain charging temperature in extreme cold and extreme heat conditions. The air-conditioning system is also connected into the heat exchanger cooling system to aid with battery cooling during rapid DC charging in extreme heat. Hyundai claims this is why the Kona Electric can complete back to back DC rapid charging, unlike some competitors.
What is the predicted life of the Kona’s lithium ion battery?
A: Hyundai says it expects the Kona Electric's battery to last “well beyond the battery warranty period of 8 years,” adding that the installation is made up of modules and inside each module there are cells, with both the modules and the cells able to be replaced if required.
What happens to the Kona Electric’s battery when it’s no longer serviceable?
A: Hyundai says it is looking at second-life options like large scale battery storage solutions to help maintain frequency in the electricity grid. There have also been people enquiring about the possibility of purchasing old batteries for home energy storage. At 64kWh the Hyundai Kona Electric's battery when new is significantly more powerful than Tesla’s 13.5kWh Powerwall 2 home battery system.
What are the Kona EV's service costs and frequency, and what are the main serviceable items?
A: One service, once a year costs $165 and includes full safety check, satnav upgrade for 10 years, motoring club road service extension for 10 years and more. Hyundai also points out that only the most experienced technician in the dealership is permitted to work on the Kona Electric once that person becomes a Hyundai Master Technician.
Does running ancillaries such as lights and air-con drain the Kona Electric’s lithium ion battery faster than when not running them?
A: Slightly, but most items in the car have very low power draw and 64kWh is a big battery. The air-conditioning system uses the most of any system in the Hyundai Kona Electric, apart from the electric motor when driving. A screen in the navigation system provides a live-data analysis of all energy usage, including lighting, aircon, heating and energy used by the electric motor.
The Kona Electric also features a driver only mode for the climate system which minimises power usage and heated and cooled front seats are also an energy efficient way to ensure comfort.
A: Hyundai says 90-100km/h is best, but if looking to maximise range drivers can engage Eco Plus mode which cuts the aircon and speed limits the car to 80km/h (unless over-ridden) to ensure optimal energy usage.
A: There is a series of alerts as you get closer to zero range before the Hyundai EV goes into ‘limp-home mode’ to help maximise range. Australian motoring clubs are also reportedly investing in mobile battery charge systems for when people run out of charge, the same as if you run out of fuel now.
A: There are emergency response stickers all around the car. Using a phone QR scanner or emergency responder mobile data terminal will open the publicly available emergency response guide, which includes all emergency procedures.
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