1,026 km for the longest-runner on a single charge
Test drives over three days in Germany
A trio of Hyundai Kona EVs have set what the automaker is calling a new range record. Three of the compact crossovers topped 1,000 km in a three-day test totalling 36 driver changes and zero trips to a wall plug.
Hyundai took the three stock 64 kWh Kona Electrics to the Lausitzring in Germany, a test and race track that let them run the Konas in controlled conditions. But not climate controlled, since, despite 29-degree temperatures, none of the drivers chose to use the air conditioning and chance losing some range.
While driving the 200 hp Konas with their stock Nexen tires, the drivers kept their average speeds over the distances to between 29 and 31 km/h. Yes, that’s slow, but Hyundai said that it “had to be achieved in typical inner-city traffic conditions, including rush hour and traffic light changes, as well as in the 30 km/h zones of residential areas.” So they simulated real-world urban driving. While EVs do better in town than on the highway thanks to regeneration, this is still an impressive distance if a disappointing pace.
With one team from German car magazine Auto Bild, one of Hyundai Germany mechanics, and one made of up marketing staff, the three Kona EVs managed to use approximately just 6.25 kWh/100 km, impressively better than the WLTP estimate of 14.7 and letting them hit 1,018.7, 1,024.1, and 1,026.0 km in total distance travelled.
We’re not sure what qualifications Hyundai is putting around this record, though, because we’ve seen reports in the past of Tesla Model S cars managing longer distances, but we’ve certainly not seen a production crossover hit this figure. So if you’re ready to drive slowly, you can cover a whole lot of distance in a Kona EV, the best-selling battery-electric SUV in Europe.
