India’s First Long-range EV To Launch Tomorrow

The Hyundai Kona Electric will be sold in 16 major Indian cities initially

Update: The Hyundai Kona Electric SUV has been launched in India priced at Rs 25.30 lakh (ex-showroom, India). Read the details here.

• Kona Electric will be India’s first long-range EV with a claimed range of 452km per charge.

• Likely to be priced around Rs 25 lakh; its rival, MG eZS will launch by December 2019.

• Select Hyundai dealerships to offer DC fast charging facility.

• Should get features like LED projector headlamps, head-up display, ventilated seats, 8-inch touchscreen with 8-speaker audio system.

• Its ex-showroom price could go down by 7 per cent if GST reduction rule is implemented.

Hyundai is all set to enter the long dormant Indian EV market with the Kona Electric tomorrow. Available globally with a 39kWh and 64kWh battery pack, India will get the former, making the Kona Electric the first long-range EV in India. Hyundai has already dispatched 25 units of the Kona to dealerships last month. It is likely to be priced around the Rs 25 lakh mark with no direct rival until the MG eZS launches here by December 2019.

The Hyundai Kona Electric, with its 39kWh battery pack, returns a claimed range of around 452km on a single charge, according to ARAI. Its 100kW electric motor delivers 136PS with 395Nm of peak torque which allows it to reach 100kmph from a standstill in 9.7 seconds on the way to a top speed of 155kmph. 

Hyundai plans to sell the Kona Electric in only 16 Indian cities initially which are expected to include Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and the likes. Select dealerships in these cities will get the fast charging apparatus which is likely to be a 100kW DC charging unit that can juice up the Kona Electric to 80 per cent in just 54 minutes. For your personal usage, Hyundai will provide an optional wall box/ AC charging station which takes around 10 hours for a full battery top up. There won’t be any fast chargers for personal usage as they are bound to shoot up the EV’s prices.

In the features department, the Hyundai Kona Electric should get LED projector headlamps with DRLs, an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment unit with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, an 8-speaker sound system with subwoofer, head-up display, ventilated seats and wireless charging. Safety features should include six airbags, blind spot monitoring system, rearview parking camera, ABS with EBD and more. 

One area where the Hyundai Kona Electric could really benefit in the near future is the proposal to reduce GST by the government. This could lead to a considerable reduction in the ex-showroom prices of the EV. Those looking to take a loan on electric cars in the near future could also save up to Rs 2.50 lakh in tax deductions. 

Has the Hyundai Kona Electric caught your fancy? Do you think the Kona Electric has what it takes to make EVs practical and thus encourage their adoption? Let us know in the comments and stay tuned to CarDekho as we bring you the Kona Electric launch details tomorrow. 

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