Hyundai Kona Electric Gets An Affordable Price

After a long wait, the Hyundai Kona Electric is finally coming to America for a price that is far lower than many expected. Hyundai announced this EV crossover will start at $36,450. Since the Korean automaker hasn’t sold a ton of all-electric models, you can get the $7,500 tax credit, dropping the net price to under $30,000.

That’s actually quite the deal, considering the Kona Electric comes with a 64-kWh battery pack. Range as estimated by the EPA is an impressive 258 miles, far exceeding many rivals. To say this is one of the better deals on an EV, if not the best at the moment, is at least a defensible argument.

Already, the Hyundai Kona Electric has picked up all kinds of praise in markets around the world. It even landed on the WardsAuto 10 best engines list, which is a pretty big deal in the auto industry. Will American consumers be as impressed?

There’s no word yet on just how many of these all-electric crossovers Hyundai plans to ship to the States. It might be a soft roll out, with constricted supply to help gauge demand, then an increase to meet what Hyundai perceives as the right amount.

It also will be interesting to see if the Hyundai Kona Electric will strip away sales from the Chevy Bolt, Nissan Leaf, and other EVs, or if like the Tesla Model 3, it eats into market share previously enjoyed by more traditional vehicles.