Challenging the US Market with EVs
The Kona Electric, a small electric sports utility vehicle (SUV) of Hyundai Motor, set a new record in the United States in terms of maximum driving range.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of the United States recently announced that Kona Electric can travel a distance of 258 miles after fully charged. For reference, the range is 238 miles and 225 miles for Chevrolet Bolt EV and Nissan Leaf, respectively.
The Tesla Model S P100d has a maximum driving range of 335 miles and the Tesla Model 3 has 310 miles. Still, the prices of these models are approximately three times that of the Kona Electric and the Tesla vehicles have large battery capacities. This means the competitiveness of the Kona Electric overwhelms those of the other mass-market electric vehicles.
Both Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Motors are planning to penetrate the U.S. electric vehicle market on a large scale from the fourth quarter of this year. The Kona Electric makes its debut in the United States in October ahead of the Kia Niro EV. The Niro EV is yet to obtain a maximum driving range certification, but its maximum driving range is likely to be close to that of the Kona Electric in that the two models have the same battery capacity, 64 kwh. The price of the Kona Electric in the United States is estimated at between US$30,000 and US$40,000.