Reid Main

In my quest to purchase my very first car, I created a list of features that I thought were important to have in 2019. Today I am going to grade the Hyundai Kona Electric according to that criteria.

• ✅ Can be imported from the United States into Canada
• ✅ Costs less than $60,000
• ✅ Electric
• ✅ 400+ kilometers on a single charge/tank
• ✅ Adaptive Cruise Control
• ❌ All-Wheel Drive
• ✅ Fast Acceleration / High Torque
• ✅ Apple CarPlay or an amazing infotainment system
• ✅ Cargo Space
• ❌ 360° Cameras
• ✅ Completely digital dashboard and speedometer
• ⚠️ Security Cameras / System
• ❌ Dashcam
• ✅ Heads Up Display
• ✅ Survive the Canadian winter
• ⚠️ Cross border warranty
• ❌ Over-the-air Updates

When I was looking at alternatives to the Tesla Model 3 all the usual suspects that I had be hearing about for years were popping up: BMW i3, Chevrolet Bolt, Nissan Leaf, Volkswagon e-Golf. I had absolutely no idea that not only had Hyundai entered this market but they just released an electric crossover which can compete with the Model 3.

After all of the research that I have done I can confidently say if you want an electric car that is not a Tesla, the Hyundai Kona Electric is your best choice. On a full charge it has a solid range of 415 kilometers. It is jammed full of cool technology such as adaptive cruise control, a completely digital dashboard with a heads up display and the A+ infotainment system you would expect from a Hyundai. It even is quite quick off the line thanks to those electric motors which is surprising because it is front-wheel drive and weights a lot more since it is a crossover. You get all of that for less than 75% of the cost of a performance Model 3.

To top it all off the Kona Electric is essentially guaranteed to be importable into Canada. Hyundai has a great track record with Transport Canada and everything I have read indicates that you should have no issues. The only downside seems to be Hyundai is not very consistent with honouring the warranty when you cross the border so I should just assume I'll have to pay for all repairs out of pocket if I move.

There really isn't anything wrong with the Hyundai Kona Electric. There are just a bunch of nice-to-haves like all-wheel drive, 360° parking cameras, a better alarm system and a built in dashcam. Those are luxuries in a lot of cars nowadays so I am not really faulting Hyundai. What they have put together for the price point is something very special and even though I really want a Tesla Model 3 I am giving the Hyundai Kona Electric serious thought. It would be a great introduction to electric cars and a relatively cheap experiment if things don't go as planned.