FINALLY! Real Range! 2019 Hyundai Kona Electric Review

[@BOTBreviews]

Win your Dream Car here 👉 bit.ly/BOTB-Win-A-Dream-Car

[@andersforsgren3806]

Krell is audiophile stereo stuf, so no wonder you thought it sound good. =)

[@HADJEE]

Huunday is the correct pronunciation. Huun Day

[@zaidendemetrius331]

@Dakari Esteban yup, been using instaflixxer for years myself :D

[@randallscott-key802]

I've had my Kona electric since March of 2019 and now have over 24,000 miles on the clock! The only "maintenance" it's had was to be taken in for inspection when the pre-programed alert came on. So far, total cost of maintenance on the car = ZERO! All one need do is look in the owner's manual to discover the first actual, real "service" is to change the oil in the reduction drive at 75,000 miles. Everything else is just a "look at it" thing. Since last March I have put gas in ANY car exactly ZERO times. Since I purchased a 240V 50A charger when I got the car, the "inconvenience" of waiting for the car to charge has been exactly ZERO! Apparently car reviewers spend every day cavorting around the world and must use public and commercial chargers, but for most of we folks who have to actually GO TO A JOB for a living, the dreaded "daily commute" is 99% of all travel, and the Kona electric is GREAT at the daily commute! First let me state that at 24,000 miles and however-many chargings, the battery shows ZERO lose of charge capacity. During the winter months when the car knows it's cold outside, the car will state a 100% charged range of around 260 miles. However, when the driving starts, thanks to the efficiency of the Kona's regenerative braking, and the ability to coast without drive line drag, the total of miles driven + remaining range tends to go UP. So the car might start off with a stated 260 miles range, but after a few commutes which comprise about half and half freeway and city street, the projected total distance that can be traveled has risen by 10 or more miles. In the warmer months such as now, 100% charge just the other day showed 282 miles range and THAT "guesstimate" includes the car's knowledge that I've been driving 70-75 mph on the freeway! By setting regen to max on the freeway it's possible to average over 3.5 miles/kWh at 70-73mph. By actively working to "hypermile" by dynamically adjusting regen for varying road conditions, I've been able to record 4.1-4.2 miles/kWh while also driving 65-75 mph on my daily 40 miles each way commute. In town driving, if one simply sets the regen and leaves it, expect efficiency to cap at around 4.5 miles/kWh, but for those who learn to use regen aggressively, combined with coasting, efficiency >5.0-5.5 miles/kWh is possible. The "problem" with the Kona electric is that when it's new and the owner doesn't have range confidence, they tend to drive it gently with a more econ-friendly approach. But as the owner gets used to the car, the tendency is to begin to explore the Kona's amazing acceleration in traffic situations! However "slow" the Kona EV might ultimately be, coming off the line as it were in a "stoplight race" the only cars that can stay with it are made by Tesla - or maybe that ONE by Chevy! Even in econ mode the car will zoom, but when placed in sport mode and traction control turned off, the car will SPIN the front tires unless the throttle is properly modulated to limit wheel spin until the car is rolling, then add-in more accelerator pedal to maintain the rate of acceleration. In countless "stoplight" pulls with cars of EVERY brand - including BMWs, Lexi, Chargers, etc., the Kona EV has left them behind as if it was launched by catapult off a carrier deck! And these are California drivers which means they are almost always going "hammer down" when the light changes! Do I think the Kona EV can beat a powerhouse ICE car in the long run? Nope, but from 0-50 mph which is where 99% of all street encounters top out, the Kona EV is half a mile out front by the time they've even gotten their engines revving! IF the car has tries for traction it would easily drop into the high-5 second 0-60 time, and IF somebody ever makes "traction bars" for it to prevent tail squat, (maintaining weight over the front tires) it could probably drop into the low 5 second 0-60 range! I'm a lot more impressed with my Kona EV today than I was even when I first bought it. I like the mini-SUV style and layout a lot more than the Tesla Model 3, and the Model Y is clearly just a more bulbous, "tad-pole" shape. Tesla makes great EV and deserve respect, but they do tend to all look alike. When reviewers and non-owners consider electric cars they obsess over range and cost to replace the battery as IF that's something needed every month or two! By now there are enough used EVs on the road for people to know how well range holds up. Nissan's early batteries were air cooled and degrade faster than Hyundai's (and Tesla) liquid-cooled batteries. And speaking of all the "advice" by many who don't even own an electric, I have charged my car to 90% consistently, with probably 25% being taken to 100%. I usually recharge it around 30%. As far as I can tell the battery has just as much capacity today as it did new. if that's because Hyundai put in a 64kWh battery that's "really" 75kWh to compensate for battery degradation - GREAT! It's working! And it shows how smart the engineers at Hyundai are! But whatEVER the reason, my Kona electric is still going strong 16 months and 24,000 miles after "new" and makes a fantastic daily driver!

[@alexdavis-mann8513]

This a amazing car for me, no idea what his talking about come the camera or the interior.

[@MrTeff999]

When you compared the cost of driving the EV to the ICE, You left out oil changes, and the periodic planned and unplanned repairs Such as timing belts, tuneups....

[@ianmurray250]

Servicing this car involves replacing the air con fluid every couple of years. That pretty much all the maintenance.

[@DataSmithy]

When comparing costs of ownership you should also factor in maintenance that are generally not required on electric vehicles. Oil changes, spark plugs, starter battery changes, transmission fluid, new belts, are all not needed for electric vehicles.

[@BOTBreviews]

I did mention that when reviewing but sadly I waffled on so much that a lot had to be left out of the edit. It is a huge part of EV ownership.

[@LysanderLH]

How long would you need to own a petrol Kona to spend the £10,000 difference between petrol and EV? Servicing, parts, fuel etc?

[@Kiltoonie]

Plus Road Tax : which is zero for the EV. Actually, my Kona SE EV cost only £32.500 after government grant, though I gather the price has gone up and the grant reduced.

[@Kiltoonie]

@@LysanderLH depends on your annual mileage: I reckon the price-even point comes after about 60,000-70,000 miles or so, depending on various factors. For example, electricity for public charging is free in Scotland.

[@danpatterson8009]

How many miles/years is a battery pack good for and how much will it cost to replace? Note also that EVs DO have cooling systems to manage battery pack and motor temperatures, so there is some plumbing (pumps, hoses) involved.

[@14energy]

4 years lates Im looking into gettin an used one, numbers look even better now ❤

[@jonathanmatthews4774]

My 2007 Subaru Imprezza is pretty much on it's last legs and wanting to go full EV, the Kona was the best bang-for-buck by far. As much as I love AWD and going fast, if I'm honest with myself, most of my driving is to the hockey rink or to the theater. The opportunities for me to go fast are limited.

[@smax13]

@1.00 that bump on the front light lens is done to amplify the visibility of this light (to other cars/pedestrians) from various viewing angles.. this is to to meet safety regulatory requirements for all the countries it is sold in.

[@BOTBreviews]

Thanks! 👍

[@Muppetkeeper]

Hmmmmm, didn’t the designers of the Nissan Leaf put bumps on the headlights to reduce the wind noise from the wing mirrors? I can’t quite see where the bumps are, but they could be doing that.

[@smax13]

Paul Elkington thats true in the leaf’s case.. it created an air pocket at the mirror area to reduce wind noise.

[@richardteychenne3950]

Something you didn't mention when I tried the ev and non ev varients the ev battery pack is heavy and low down which made it feel much more stable in normal driving which offset the slightly lower grip in terms of comfort and driving pleasure and may contribute to the better damping of road inperfections.

[@BOTBreviews]

Good point! I didn’t get to drive the petrol Kona sadly.

[@jonathanmatthews4774]

Let's not forget that buying new grippier tires isn't that big of a deal. Sure, it adds a few extra $$, but if grip is that big of an issue, just change the tires. Easy.

[@neilbrandon]

I owned my kona electric premium se for 2 months. Great car overall, but needs 1. better suspension to fix jittery ride. 2.sound deadening as road noise can be intrusive, 3 the phone app. Note..Rear passenger comfort is limited due to high rear floor..

[@travisp11]

Thank you for making this video! My wife and I are considering an EV for our next vehicle purchase. We have good access to charging stations away from the home and the Kona is definitely one of the models that we will consider.

[@BOTBreviews]

You’re welcome 😁 and thanks for watching! 👍

[@nickclark2278]

What about other servicing costs of the ice vs the bev

[@tongsansage]

Great and informative review. Thinking of making jump from hybrid to full electric. Can't find this question answered anywhere: Does the car or charger make any noise- inverter buzzing, fans etc while charging at home. My garage is right under house first floor. . Thanks

[@withusmasunda3168]

Great presentation very realistic and closer to home. Is there a mobile battery charger that can be manufactured with these units just to give the ability to do another 50miles out of say 25mins of charging in emergency situations

[@patreekotime4578]

Generally speaking, EVs are MUCH better about warning people they are going to run out of juice than gasoline cars are. And draining the battery down to zero will seriously damage the battery pack and should absolutely be avoided. Most manufacturers recommend keeping it between 10 and 80% charge. But in the case that does happen, you can charge EVs from a standard wall plug, so any publicly available wall plug becomes an emergency 'gas can'. Just keep the cables in the boot.

[@MrTanahmed]

Great review. On cost, also factor in lower maintenance cost and better depreciation values. So the 10k extra up front cost is not the full story. Lease costs for example are very similar.

[@DimitarMihaylovBG]

I think the bumps on the headlights are to deflect wind away from the side mirrors thus reducing aero drag. 1st gen LEAF had similar albeit larger bumps.

[@blahblahblack]

I agree, a few cars over the years have featured headlight shapes supposedly designed to do this, usually they just protude the whole light, but maybe a little bump is enough if it's in exactly the right spot.

[@terryjimfletcher]

IIRC Generally they are there to allow the indicator light to be seen from a 45 degree angle to the front of the car, i.e. The opposite side.

[@jonsims6031]

Good review! In terms of running costs you need to mention EV road tax, insurance and maintenance savings which add up to a tidy sum over the year! (Depending on previous vehicle of course) and as a company car there is currently no BIK tax to pay.

[@esprit1st75]

As for cost calculation you're forgetting that there is virtually NO maintenance cost for the kona ev. No oil changes, wear on brakes is very little because of regenerative breaking. Add that cost to your gas cost of the gas kona and you will break even a lot faster!

[@racekar80]

I have the Kia Niro, same car and it does not wheel spin. Chirps the tires and then traction control steps in.

[@alistairpowers8129]

Sounds really good, my concern would be three or four years down the line, how much would battery replacement cost? also battery performance does degrade over time

[@BOTBreviews]

Batteries won’t need replacing, that’s a silly rumour. There are 6yr old Tesla’s driving around with 300,000 miles that are still running at 80% of battery capacity.

[@J0nny61]

Great video, thank you. I'm just about to change from a VW ID4 1st Edition to a Kona Electric. I can't fault the ID4 apart from the transmission selector on the right hand side of the steering column which is so counterintuitive.

[@BOTBreviews]

Thanks for watching! 😁👍 The Kona is a lot more efficient than the ID4 too, it’s a great choice 👍

[@daniel08october1969]

I have this car for the last few months and it’s great. The lumbar support for driver and passenger is great benefit for those who suffer with back pain. You can also raise the height of the seat. However my one complaint is the heating controls. Having buttons instead of dials is a disaster. They are very hard, if not dangerous, to adjust as you are driving. With only the slightest adjustment of the controls you go from skin-burning heat levels to ice-cold air. It very hard to get a happy medium.

[@seanpeacock5595]

7 years of driving to recover the cost difference. THANK YOU First review I’ve seen of dozens that was honest about the cost.

[@Stonemasters11]

Sean Peacock Not with Federal Tax rebates you gain in the US and any State Tax benefits as well. States differ. Add you can drive in the HOV Lanes in many states plus, save on maintenance cost vs gas and least in my state Free parking at a lot of Municipal Lots as well as Airport.

[@seanpeacock5595]

Micah Watts Lucky you. That’s a lot of benefits I don’t have access to.

[@justinmenzies6400]

In my province I get 8000 in rebates then 6000 for scrapping my 2009 car. Can't wait till gets in!

[@seanpeacock5595]

Justin Menzies nice. Quebec?

[@justinmenzies6400]

@@seanpeacock5595 British Columbia:)

[@spacedoutET]

Subscribed. Very honest video. I own a leaf 30kwh coz it was on offer half price. I wanted to test EVs first and kept my zafira as a backup incase goes terribly wrong. Even though I drive super careful, having the heater on drains the battery like mad. In the mixed driving winter, it's between 70 to 80 miles at its best. 100 in summer. I'd love a higher range, BUT.....as you stated about cost, it's a bit tricky. I like working the exact costs out, compared to petrol and as you stated, it takes years to gain back. The other issue is also down to how far you drive per year. For instance, my neighbours have asked me about my ev and although it's a great drive, they say they hardly do many miles per year, so prefer a cheaper car to just get from a to b. I can't blame them tbh. I mean it's like me buying a Porsche and just parking it on the drive all year. Just not really any saving or point. The only other issue is public chargers, as I can save alot at home, but if I had to travel longer distances daily, then public would be necessary. However, I fear that if they start pushing prices up, they would be too close to petrol. As an example, I pay 15p a mile on diesel at its worst. I pay up to 5p worst in winter on electric leaf. I worked out that if it was to be the same price as my diesel, it would be 44p kwh. Now I know that podpoints about the best in my area at 23pkwh. But ecotricity has put theres up to 39p now. So if I had to go very far, and needed several stops to charge with several waiting times, I'd rather just go with the diesel. Not to mention that alot of people don't even have drives or garages, so are not allowed to have one fitted at home or flats. So no real extra savings there. So I feel that people will eventually buy them, but like everything, the cost has to come down before they bite the bullet. Gr8 video, thanks.

[@BOTBreviews]

Great post, thanks for the info, and thanks for watching! 😁👍

[@davidsworld5837]

you missed out an electric car road tax is 0 what is it for the car you compared it to in petrol as well as servicing

[@heartsparkdollar]

Just wait

[@nithinjacob7455]

Those bumps in the headlights helps with drag reduction. It’s called vortex generator.

[@2cats1guy]

It’s true. If you have a daily short commute then it’s very expensive. For me, I have 110km commute a day and the cost is the same to own for the first 3-5 years as an equivalent Tucson if you factor in oil changes, etc... except, EVs are more fun to drive, have better tech and will keep their value a lot better at the end of a term. Also, it seems you guys pay a lot more for electricity there. To charge a 64kw battery here is more like $5 per charge at home.

[@sprockkets]

I wish you tried a 100kw station, because I want to know if they fixed that for 2020. They capped the old one at 200amps or 75kw because the ccs standard at the time defined those limits.

[@BOTBreviews]

Sadly no 100kW were available near me at the time. Thanks for watching though! 😁👍

[@prashantcc1634]

Wht abt the maintenance charges..!! So effectively u would recuperate all the expenses in jst 3-4 years..

[@EVinstructor]

The EV Kona may cost £10k more to buy than a fossil fuel version, however along with fuel costs being lower and servicing costs, it will sell for more than the fossil car when you’ve finished with it. So the whole £10k does not have to be recovered in fuel costs. Look at total cost of ownership and it’s probably the same or less, especially if the vehicle is leased.

[@no-oneman.4140]

Exactly my thoughts. Although they have the same name, comparing a petrol version to an EV is apples and oranges.

[@tushargkwd]

@@no-oneman.4140 Actually it didn't age well as expected, the used ones are really cheap as of June-July 2024.

[@airvisualltd3838]

If by your comments about wheelspin would suggest its bit lighter at the front does that not bode well for icy or slippery road holding ?

[@BOTBreviews]

It’s down to the tyres mainly, but agreed I’d be wanting winter tyres in the colder months.

[@macaalf8219]

I test drove one of those, in the dry there is no wheelspin issue at all, in the wet there is a wheelspin issue with any fwd car and that kind of torque, even my Tourneo spins wheels and it has "good" Michelin tyres. It is cheap on the inside and the adaptive cruise control is a nuisance. You forgot the battery "maintenance" issue. The battery needs changing at least once during the car's useful life, which means shelling out about a quarter to a third of the car's buying price each time.

[@ruedipreiss3654]

The adaptive CC is brilliant, 90% of the time I drive with it. Keeps the speed almost on the dot down hill or uphill, slows down towards stationary or slower vehicles and even keeps in lane on 2-way roads/ motorways without the need to hold the steering other than to stop it from complaining after 15 seconds. Sure it's not luxury on the inside but so far (20k miles on teh clock, almost a year) no rattles or squeaks whatsoever and there is no paint flaking off and all the buttons look as good as new.

[@ianmurray250]

1. New 2020 model has replaced the 8" infotainment screen (as seen in this video) with a 10.25", this shows 3 blocks of info rather than the 2 blocks seen in this video. 2. A 100kWh rapid charger gives 80% charge in 55 minutes giving you about the right amount of time you need to have a break. Remember that mostly you charge overnight at home whilst you sleep.

[@neilbowness6074]

People get hung up on the cost but who actually these days buys a car outright, the finance deals, running costs on a monthly basis such as fuel,road tax and as they are becoming more widespread emission charges,emission free zones and congestion charges are be best way to look at cars these days.

[@huepix]

When will an e car company utilize capacitors for fast charge, fast draw. Not for a total drive but for something like a 30 or 60 sec acceleration. Capacitors can recharge almost instantly so their regen is ideal. But they can only discharge quickly so they can be used for fast acceleration and then the chemical battery takes over for cruising.

[@wobby1516]

Interesting, I’ve owned the Kona Electric for a year now I normally drive in eco mode, I haven’t experienced excessive wheel spin. I don’t crawl around just drive with perhaps a more gentle foot than you and I’m not the old fellow up front holding all the boy racer up.

[@BOTBreviews]

Quite possibly, plus it was a very cold greasy day when I was filming.

[@wobby1516]

In The Headlights You also criticised the camera which puzzles me, I can’t see what’s wrong with it? I get a very good view when reversing and don’t use it to take photos with! so for me at any rate, more than adequate, but I suppose it all a matter of opinion.

[@kaasmeester5903]

The wheel spin has come up in a couple of other reviews, and as a Kona EV driver I've experienced it myself a few times as well despite not being an aggressive driver. The car comes with Nexen tyres (at least here in Europe) that apparently are energy efficient, but they are also noisy and have very poor grip; not the best choice for a car that puts out a ton of torque. The car does have traction control but it seems to fail under certain conditions, just for half a sec. Not sure when, maybe when lifting your foot off the gas and then punching down again.

[@wobby1516]

Kaasmeester I’m aware that this has been reported before by other bloggers, I too live in Europe and have the same tyre on my Kona and yes if I floor it I can spin the tyres even at 30 mph in the wet., but I can’t say it’s a problem as I don’t drive that aggressively. It’s seems to me that ever blogger makes that it’s a problem, it’s not and never has been, for me at least. As for road holding I’ve not found that a problem either I just drive to suit the road conditions as I sure you do too.

[@michaelrch]

Kaasmeester I have had the same problems with the wheel spin in the wet. It only needs to be a bit damp for the tyres to lose grip if you put down a bit too much power. It's especially bad pulling out on corners I've found. I did 20k km in my first summer with the car and my front tyres are already going to need to be changed in the spring. Now I'm on the winter tyres I'm being a bit more careful! I didn't drive aggressively most of the time but I will admit that I would floor it from time to time just for the hell of it. I blame the kids!! "Dad, make the car go whoosh!"

[@gvrose1]

Thanks for your video. Everyone talks about cost. EVs give you pleasure while driving, they reduce your stress by a huge amount, they entertain you, they benefit everyone else as they don’t make noise as you drive by people having a morning coffee at the sidewalk cafe. We pay big money to be entertained and most EVs give it back in spades!! No I did not forget to mention the price of clean air, it should be obvious to everyone. Please, please, stop talking about cost. Climb out of the polluted box your in and see what EVs really are. Thanks.

[@iRMacMan]

So the rear camera is "rubbish" you say. Why is it rubbish? As this is a review; would appreciate your information on the shortcomings of the device. Thanks...

[@BOTBreviews]

I’ve answered elsewhere, but it’s not a great resolution and the location and aero of the car means it gets incredibly dirty very quickly rendering it useless.

[@iRMacMan]

@@BOTBreviews Good points. Especially the one about the exposed position of the camera lens. I currently have 2017 VW Golf which hides the camera behind the hatchback badge. A simple, elegant and 100% effective solution. Can't imagine why every manufacturer doesn't do something similar. Thanks for the clarification.

[@djnickpeters]

Not sure if available in the UK but in the US you can receive a rebate and tax credit for purchasing a electric car. This should be figured into over all price when comparing purchase between combustion and electric.

[@BOTBreviews]

In the U.K. you get a £3500 discount on first new purchasing of the car. Nothing else really sadly.

[@o00scorpion00o]

I drove the 64 Kwh e-soul in Ireland last week, it would get 300-320 Kms at 75 Mph clock speed or 120 Km/hr as we have it here, that was based on the trip comuter reading of 20 Kwh/100 kms, I was very impressed, a lot less wheel spin too than the Kona and it has fantastic lane keep assist which is the most advanced of all the Kia/Hyundai electrics as it's newer, I was very impressed. The e-soul is much quieter inside too, the Kona I found I would need ear plugs it was that bad but perhaps this is down to the tyres. I could estimate 260-270 miles in the E-soul on slower non motorway roads and possibly close to 300 miles in Summer, very impressive.

[@MikeIOW2]

As others have said, this is the 2019 model, not 2020. Nevertheless, an awesome vehicle (we've done 10k miles in ours now, love it!)

[@tonantos]

Title of the video is misleading. This is not the 2020 version. The 2020 premium SE version has the infotainment buttons below the screen, not on the sides. It also has heated seats for the back and not just the front. The car in this video is the 2019/18 version.

[@BOTBreviews]

Thanks for the info and for watching! 👍

[@-JustHuman-]

Just tjek the Kona website, and the fact that you HAVE to buy the power from them even at home is kinda a deal breaker, as we have just seen with Ionity going up 500%, and there is no mention of a guaranty on the battery, like Tesla's 8 year. So how is the thermals in 2 years, and what if it breaks, will it hold it's range and what is the real price saving ? And very little extra things like a hitch or autodrive.

[@-JustHuman-]

And it looks so old in the interior too, but that is cosmetic, so not a main point.

[@robtheelectric]

is there a service to charge car if you are caught mid journey?

[@BOTBreviews]

Most breakdown services have this now, but with good planning it’s not something you’ll ever need.

[@paulvadeanu246]

Great review! Very useful! Barely wait for my 2020 Kona EV in April!

[@tonantos]

Hi Paul. Just out of curiousity, when did you place your order? I placed mine in October but I haven't heard anything about a delivery date yet. Did Hyundai contact you already about yours?

[@BOTBreviews]

Thanks Paul!

[@paulvadeanu246]

@@tonantos hi Ray. Actually, I am also a prebooker for ID3 1st from Volkswagen. I decided to go for Kona in December after finding that ID.3 won't have a heat pump in my country. Meanwhile, the deliveries for the German car have been push once more in autumn 2020. Hyundai and Kia are under huge pressure in Europe because of the Directive of European Commission that impose an average limit of CO2 emission of 95g/km. That's why the quota for EU countries is much higher then the last year. My dealer informed me that my Kona (64kwh, highest trim) should arrive in April the latest, as part of the first batch of 40 cars.

[@tonantos]

@@paulvadeanu246 Thanks for the info Paul. 40 cars seems rather low in volume. Considering that that they have thousands of people on the waiting list, it may take a while for me to get my car in the UK then.

[@paulvadeanu246]

@@tonantos I think that it depends also on how committed the dealer is. Here we have some troubles on this matter. They aren't so happy to sell EVs. In Romania, we have a list at national level of 40 prebookers who will get their preconfigured cars. That's because Hyundai has its own branch opened here. Kia moves far slower. There is a private firm who imports Kia's cars and doesn't have a transparent system for deliveries.

[@johnivarjakobsen6725]

But the cost of service on the petrol is also a must too mentioned

[@bigtom1948]

How tall are you so I can judge the interior size. Thanks

[@BOTBreviews]

6ft3, so it’s a pretty much worst case scenario.

[@skytreker]

@@BOTBreviews I was about to ask the same. 0:10 The Car looks tiny next to you LOL

[@rockbore]

Compare the resale value of the electric model after that 7 year period, and the petrol. Your battery may need an upgrade, and there will probably be an even better deal available there. Whereas your petrol model is basically just scrap if it ever gets to 7. EVs have great resale potential and some models have held their original price or even appreciated to some extent, according to anecdotal evidence. Be that as it may, the potential longevity and resale will always be a win for EVs.

[@danpatterson8009]

I get the impression that licensing and tax laws in the UK discourage operating older vehicles, as their resale values seem quite low to this American. Electric cars are increasingly popular over here but I think it is still a matter of personal preference rather than economics. My 9-year-old gasoline Honda completed a 5400-mile road trip over the holidays, and it doesn't need a thing. Down the road, oil changes and a new catalytic converter will cost far less than a new battery pack for an EV. And good luck finding a charging station in some little town in New Mexico! I don't doubt that EVs will eventually "take over", but their day is not yet.

[@Kiltoonie]

@@danpatterson8009 we get a lot of problems with corrosion due to the salt on the roads here in the UK.. also there is a very useful set of incentives to buy new cars here, grants and cheap finance deals 'PCP'.

[@rockbore]

@@danpatterson8009 Your total carbon footprint is much smaller than it might've been if you bought an EV. I've heard of petrol engines going twice around the clock. Holding on to an ageing vehicle is definitely greener than buying new, even if it's a change to an EV, to some extent. The question of charging stations is something of a cultural point to my way of thinking. Every electrical outlet is a potential charging point. There is very little reason why a gas station can't offer a charging facility, even though we don't see it happening yet. You are correct that the EV hasn't really arrived, but atleast now most people needing a new family car must surely have to atleast consider the electric option, that's some progress at any rate.

[@danpatterson8009]

Yes, you can recharge an EV with regular household circuits, just not very fast. Quick charging requires special hardware and special hardware (and electricity) cost money. To provide these things for you, people must have a financial incentive. When your local gas station can make a profit by installing and operating a charging station, they will do so, and probably not before. Free charging stations only exist to jump-start the market, and will not last.

[@momckinley]

@Eat Jat I've also driven many cars over 150k miles and up the 15 years old. But EVs are so simple that they'll more or less go on for ever. The only problem will be the batteries that will have lost significant range by the time they are 8 or 10 years old. But by then, second hand and much cheaper replacement batteries should be available, and a lot cheaper than a new gas engine. You also have to factor in the long term savings in fuel costs. Also, Tesla are working on a "million mile" battery!

[@dataman8350]

I think that when you reviewers test the legroom in the back and front seats of cars, you should let us know how tall you are. Also it would be convenient to have your feet and miles converted into metric on screen.

[@BOTBreviews]

I’ve mentioned my height in every other review, just assumed people would be bored of it by now 😁 I’m 192cm tall. Good suggestion about converting to metric on screen as well. Thanks for watching! 👍

[@dataman8350]

@@BOTBreviews I am new to the channel, so I hadn't heard. You could include your height on screen as well, so you don't have to tell us every time. A Good and informative Review by the Way.

[@esm7708]

I'd be interested to know how you'd compare the interior of this to an ID3. I had a bit of a shock getting in an ID3 from my Hyundai Ioniq premium SE.

[@BOTBreviews]

Not actually driven an ID.3 yet, but have sat in one and was quite disappointed. Materials felt very cheap especially at the touch points.

[@esm7708]

@@BOTBreviews exactly. The exposed seat rails were a surprise and everything else felt a bit VW up. It just felt a bit cheap and the specs are baffling. See also the Skoda bizarre a la carte specs. You can buy one relatively cheaply but it’s specced like a Dacia. Err no thanks.

[@mindtravelness335]

I wonder what would happen with that front charging port after a minor crash.

[@DorsetSaferRoads]

i terms of cost you say that it will take 7 years to get that money back however you ignore the fact that the petrol car will depreciate a lot more.

[@RogerKeulen]

And after 7 years your fuel consumption will be mutch more. Let's just ignore that for simplicity. Otherwise we can not compare apples and oranges.

[@dj2000lbs]

Electric cars have even worse depreciating nobody wants a 5 year old EV look at used Tesla's or the best example a used Leaf aint nobody want that garbage leaf no more

[@DorsetSaferRoads]

@@dj2000lbs erm what? Go look at autotrader.. compare to similar priced ice cars. Then remember that EV are a LOT cheaper to run!

[@DorsetSaferRoads]

For instance a nice 2014 leaf will cost you about 8k a similar Micra (closest ice Nissan) is about 5k-6k 10k miles will cost you £1800 in fuel vrs about £200 in electricity. Keep the leaf 2 years and you have broken even. Yes the range is low but who seriously goes long distance in a small car? The older leafs make great town run arounds!

[@ruedipreiss3654]

@@dj2000lbs you are quite wrong. The exact opposite is the case

[@optimisticfuture6808]

Really like the styling

[@johnmartens4728]

If I brought the Kona, I would have to chance the tyres, and that would ad to the cost.

[@BikeTall]

I cannot wait until electric cars come down in price. My dream car is the electric VW ID Buzz that comes out in 2023. So hopefully by then I will have enough to buy one.

[@BOTBreviews]

The next few years the EV market is going to explode, so many new models and technological advances. I’d love the ID.5, the medium sized EV estate, but yeah the Buzz will be amazing too! VW are going to be huge in the EV market soon

[@toddjohnson5692]

only available in 10 states in the US

[@alexstdenis514]

Change title please, this is 2019 model. Thx

[@Submanca]

It's interesting how no one talks about this car in the real cold. I have lots of trouble with the moisture in the car frosting the inside of the windows. Not only overnight but while I am driving. Battery in summer has 600Km but in winter 300Km. Very important that you cover the windshield in winter. The front charge cover gets filled with snow and ice while driving and you must cover it while charging. The seat cooling is useless and the heated steering wheel isn't much better.

[@BOTBreviews]

I’m guessing you have some serious cold weather then! Sadly I can only test the car in the weather we had, which was cold (3-5*C) but not too severe, I found the heated seats and wheel were fine!

[@Submanca]

@@BOTBreviews serious cold is right. It's a warm day today at -20C.

[@elguapoguano]

We seriously considered a Electric Kona. But unfortunately there were two factors that kept us from buying one. 1. in the US this is a compliance car. Not even sold in my State. Closest place to even test drive one was 1,000 miles away (apx 1600 Km). She was able to drive an ICE version to bring us to point 2. She thought it felt like a car for a tiny person.

[@onenikkione]

Petrol in the USA is $2.19 - $2.60 per gallon or 0.57 - 0.68 cents per liter (3.785 liters = 1 gallon) Currently the best selling vehicles are Full Size Pickup Trucks & SUV's

[@Chilukar]

Yes. Sadly there is no attempt to include the externalities into the price. The medical costs of Asthma, cancer, UTI etc caused are borne by the people who suffer them, their employers and families rather than by those who cause it.

[@737smartin]

True. Do you know that the US GIVES more $$s to subsidize the fossil fuel industry than the entire Pentagon budget every year? We're all actually paying through the nose to keep those prices 1/4 what they would be on the open market!

[@Kangaroo_Caught]

You missed servicing costs for the petrol car.

[@differenttan7366]

Need to add in some more savings to that cost analysis, zero road tax, no emission charges for going into London and lower maint fees as no oil to change, no belt to adjust, no exhaust to replace, no gaskets to leak. Love my ev when I get in a petrol now they just seem shaky noisy smelly and slow, only drawback is the useable but poor quality fast charging infrastructure.

[@bmw803]

I don't know where you are, but in the US this shit ain't worth it. Oil changes are about $30 and good for 10,000 miles on some cars. exhaust lasts for years. I never replace any exhaust on my car and even if you do, you don't do it every month. That car starts at close to $40K, while the gas model starts just under 20. The $20K difference will take how long to BREAK EVEN??? It can easily take 10+ years to break even. I'm all for EVs, but at those prices?? No thanks. Not worth it. And if you're in a cold climate like here in Western NY, you lose HALF your range when temperatures drop below 25 degrees.

[@jonwang999]

@@bmw803 Quick search online shows lowest end Kona EV starts $37K and lowest end Kona gas car starts $20K. All listed prices. I own a 2013 Leaf and it's now 120k miles (193km), bought new. Back then it was listed as $35K car, after $7.5K federal incentive, $2.5K CA incentive the car was $25K. Comparable Nissan model probably can be had for below $20K. The Leaf in 7 years 120Kmi s, never needed oil change, gas, timing belt, water pump or brakes. I only bought 2 sets of tires (on my 3rd set now) and couple sets of wiper blades and top off wiper fluid once a while. Basically, regular maintenance is close to $0 above what you need to do for comparable gas car. For 120k miles the electricity cost would be around $3K (assuming 4miles per kwh and I pay 10cents/kwh EV rate electricity in California not the cheapest nor the most expensive in the US). I also get free charging at work so half of my electricity is free but that's unique to my situation so I am not going to count that. Comparable gas car for 120kmi the fuel cost would be $12K (assuming 30mpg and $3per gallon, that's low price for CA but above US national gas average). If I use my previous car the Leaf replaces, 2003 Subaru WRX with 2 liter turbo engine that gets just 25mpg and silicon valley gas price of $4 per gallon then the fuel would've cost me $19K. And if I added oil change every 10Kmi ($360), timing belt/water pump at 100Kmi ($600), brake job every 50/60kmi ($600). Total for owning a gas car over 120kmi would be $13.5 to 20K. Not to mention the time cost for going to the gas station (I charge at home, cost me few seconds to plug in every night) and time lost for oil change, service that would add even more cost for owning a gas car. Furthermore, if you ever drive an EV the performance is far better than comparable gas car, the acceleration and quietness. My Leaf feels faster off the stoplight than my WRX, no need to wait for the turbo to spool up to get the punch. That's another untangible cost in favor of EV. Now let's compare owning a Kona EV vs Kona gas. Kona EV, $40K-$10K incentive-$10Kfuel/maintenance savign=$20K. So, off the bat it's already equivalent. If the cost is the same, then the EV is a much better driving experience. Do some math before dismissing owning an EV please. I personally would not get another dino juice burning car ever.

[@bmw803]

@@jonwang999 Sure, if you live in commiefornia where government charges you taxes to give them back to you as a rebate it might work, but I'm not eligible for that rebate. Obviously it doesnt work for everyone. But the biggest problem is cold weather. If you live in Canada and northern states, your range will be SLAUGHTERED at deep freeze temperatures. You lose half of the battery. Otherwise, I would jump on that car in a heartbeat.

[@glennchartrand5411]

Given the lower maintenance costs I think the "Break even" point is actually more like 5 years. Which means EV's are very close to being practical in an economic sense. The good news : If battery prices can come down , especially if the rumors about IBM's new battery are true, then electric cars will become cheaper to operate than petrol. The bad news : Once electric cars become common , it is a certainty that lost fuel taxes will be replaced by charging taxes , so you'll be paying about 35 pounds for a 200 mile charge instead of 10. That will really cut into the savings of owning an EV.

[@bwcbiz]

Another cost to consider is maintenance. Electric engines don't need as much regular maintenance (filters/oil change) as gas/petrol.

[@rollingtroll]

Krell only makes (pre)amplifiers and streamers, so they are being really creative with the branding there. It's a high-end brand for audiophiles that don't do too much research ;). In audiophile worlds Krell stands for; Harsh as it gets. It's not a brand that knows of any subtlety. It's all about 'live' and 'dynamic' and 'energy' and I don't like it, at all. But since they probably only made one component of the head unit and there's nothing Krell about the thing otherwise, it can indeed be quite good. As for the car; you need to drive it for 7 years and then you'll see how much better these cars will have gotten, range-wise. Hmmm.. You'd need a very specific use case to want a car like this right now, unless you are an environmentalist.

[@dcvariousvids8082]

“Green, because it’s a green car.” So why does it look of yellow and maybe it should be noted, that the colour is ‘Acid Yellow’.

[@damonlee226]

The expense comes from the larger battery. Cost cutting on materials is obvious with all the plastics, but you get loads of safety tech, a top of the line daily driver EV car. Reliable, and looks great..You said the seats in the back were too high, and your legs were angled upward too far, when that doesn't make sense...the seats, would need to be positioned even higher , for your legs to level out more. The green color is a new scientifically tested paint, first on the 2016 Civic, which was the best color to repel heat and help kep cooling the down. Not white, as one would think. The Kona made North American SUV of the Year for a reason. But the e-Niro, and e-Soul have the top EV cars , for the price ranges of the rest of the other EVs.

[@UncleWally3]

My mechanic explained why brake components should also last much longer on EV’s. Like to hear from others on this . . .

[@BOTBreviews]

It’s a great point. Thanks to the regenerative braking which uses the resistance of the motors to brake the car, you use the mechanical brakes a lot less.

[@toddjohnson5692]

Yeah I have an 11 year old hybrid. The brakes look brand new since they are only used in panic stops.

[@ruedipreiss3654]

Just had my 20 k service, front brakes 15%, rear brakes 10% worn. Keep in mind mine is driven by learner drivers (driving school), who don't adjust the recuperation. Hence, the front brakes might be worn at around 120k. Not bad :)!

[@DieAmonRa]

Not the 2020. The 2020 has a 10.25" screen, not the 8"

[@BOTBreviews]

I did say it has a 10.25” display....

[@DieAmonRa]

In The Headlights but this is not the 10.25. The 10.25 has buttons under the screen

[@raahilpatel7386]

@@DieAmonRa i don't get what you're saying youre watching a video youre not actually in the car so dont moan about things for no reason... Stop being angry and enjoy the video 😂😂. Honestly

[@95ARazaQ]

@@raahilpatel7386 Sandy is right, that is definitely not a 10.25 inch screen. looks like a standard 7 inch screen.

[@LS-bf7mk]

It looks like a Kona EV Premium 2019. The 2020 has buttons under the screen.

[@decimal1815]

Of course, to get the most out of an EV, you need to adapt your driving style. No more flooring-it at every junction, or heavy braking required as you go round corners. A smoother, more relaxed drive is also more economical. It's actually fun, and your passengers aren't puking up on every journey!

[@Rejuvem]

A lot of countries have incentives for buying these types of cars as an example here in United States there’s a $7500 incentive for getting the electric car so that would reduce the number of years to recoup your investment by 75%

[@BOTBreviews]

The £37.5k price I quoted actually includes the £3500 U.K. government grant as well. But yeah, I can only work out figures for the U.K. really.

[@fernandovargas7562]

Cool video.... we need this car in Boston

[@rockbore]

The EV is evolution. Every year we check the range on the latest models to see if they have become viable for us. Every year the range increases. The EV is about innovation, everything is about efficiency. True, conventional vehicles have had a few improvements lately, but the fact remains that in the past decades went by without any changes to gas and diesel motors. Much of todays innovation and improvements in conventional models are due directly as a result of EV development. But the EV potential is far beyond fossil fuel powered engines. The EV has already won the performance game. Today the range of affordable EVs is over 200 miles, but how much has gas efficiency improved in the last 3 years? This is only going one way. One day soon the EV will have a solar panel to unfold like a blanket, and a fold away wind turbine. In place of batteries we might be using capacitors which can theoretically charge faster than you can pump fuel. The future is EV because EV has potential for improvement that gas just doesn't. When you buy electric you are investing in the future. Buying a new gas car means depreciating by 20% as you drive out the gate and always with that sinking feeling that you've backed the dinosaurs, a little buyer's remorse about clean air and environmental concern.

[@BOTBreviews]

Preach!!! 😁👍

[@Kiltoonie]

@@BOTBreviews Kinda funny, but I bought two EVs last year, a Kona and an MG, and both of them are currently selling at 10% more than I paid for them ;-) But no, electric cars will not sport crazy solar umbrellas or windmills in future: that would be dumb-ass ridiculous.

[@patreekotime4578]

@@Kiltoonie no, but when (not if) a major revolution happens in solar panel efficiency, it is very likely that solar will simply be integrated into all vehicles and just be another efficiency feature (like regen braking is today) that the owner never really has to think about.

[@Kiltoonie]

@@patreekotime4578 You are an artist: I am a pragmatist: this is potentially a creative partnership. But there isn't enough potential energy in 10 square metres of sunshine here in Scotland in January to run a mobile phone, let alone a car.

[@antonydanby]

Brilliant little review; better than some of the so called "professionals" ... Thank you ... bought my tickets

[@BOTBreviews]

Glad you enjoyed it Tony! Thanks for watching 😁👍

[@crimping1]

42000 Euro for the electric Kona where I am in the world or 16000 Euro for Petrol version. You can buy a lot of Petrol for the 26000 Euro price difference.

[@ruedipreiss3654]

If you do the maths, you'll realise that the Kona Electric costs significantly less over the typical lifetime of the car than e.g. an ICE Fiesta. To be precise, whilst I'd pay £50.000 for a Fiesta 1.5 TDCi Titanium incl diesel, tax and increased service costs over 200.000 miles included, the Kona Electric costs me £37.800 (64kWh Premium, purchased before the slight price increase and if I went for a Premium SE after price increase it still would be £6-7000 cheaper than the Fiesta. Best of all, I wouldn't burn 20.000 (or more) litres of fuel in the lifetime of the car! AND, the Kona Electric so far has retained its value FAR better than a Fiesta over the same mileage. (As a driving school I have both - Fiesta has cost just over £20k new, after 20k miles and a year old worth just over £11k, the Kona has cost £33k, now after 20k miles and a year later I still get just under £30k for it = appr. £6000 better off only after 1 year!

[@ratulbanerjee7042]

I believe we should also take into consideration that the maintanence on an electric car over a period of 5 years is also much less than its petrol counterpart.

[@davidbittner4674]

Absolutely. As is so common, they've ignored the substantial savings in repairs and maintenance... especially as the cars get older. ICE vehicles are somewhat well known for falling apart faster as they age and while I'm sure that will also apply to EV's, there are simply fewer parts to fail... even brake systems require less maintenance due to regenerative braking.

[@davidbittner4674]

@j j 2021 while it depends on how the vehicle is used and how the vehicle is charged, you can expect at least 10 years battery life. If the vehicle is used commercially (very high mileage) and 'rapid' charged daily, you'll get faster battery deterioration, same as the components in a commercially used ICE vehicle. Currently, it costs a little more to replace a battery than a modern engine, depending on size and supplier. That cost is rapidly falling. Rapid charging, while convenient on long trips, should not be used regularly as it can, currently, reduce battery life. Best option is to charge overnight at home or use a not-so-fast charger at a shopping centre while you do your shopping. 'Used' batteries also can be repurposed for another 10+ years and then recycled very efficiently.

[@shashiy4545]

@@davidbittner4674 are we going to ignore the higher insurence payments for electric cars.... ?

[@davidbittner4674]

@@shashiy4545 if you compare insurance premiums for an ICE vehicle of similar value, you should see similar prices. As the insurance industry becomes more familiar with EV construction, any price difference will be based on the same factors as they are now; driver age, experience, history, probable parts cost and other variables. Keep in mind that there are substantially fewer internal components and many EV's have very few components up the front of the vehicle, unlike ICE vehicles.

[@shashiy4545]

@@davidbittner4674 how can that be.. evs are more expensive to begin with so the insurance will be higher.... so people must wait atlest 10 more years to see if evs will ever be the same cost as ice... why the hurry? buy a used honda civic for 10k and save all that extra money in insurance as well as the vehicle cost... and use the money to buy gasoline..

[@wheeliewonder3726]

Great review as always Mr. Baldland! Thumbs up!

[@BOTBreviews]

😂

[@markgaudie80]

Regardless of price I’d still choose the electric over the crappy petrol version purely for the better driving experience.

[@tjroelsma]

That will always be a personal choice. I like that this is one of the few videos on fully electric cars that gives an honest view on the pro's and contra's. The price difference for instance will be a huge deterrant for a lot of potential electric car owners for some time, especially if it takes up to 7! years for an owner to "earn back" his/her investment. That all being said I am pleasantly surprised that this is a "normal" car with "normal" performance that has quite a range. Because let's face it: cars from high end car manufacturers like Tesla will be out of range for average car owners for some time to come. The Tesla Model 3 is a nice step in the right direction, but it's cars like this that show there is still an upward movement in electric car development for the cheaper segment. The major deterrant is still sadly the battery tech, that despite all the brain power thrown at it still seem sto be bogged down at relatively speaking the same level as a couple of years ago. But cars like this show that when they manage to crack that final nut, the ICE powered cars may fade out quite quickly.

[@demus8757]

What is so nice about heated steering wheel and seats? I don't want that and if the car should have it (there is no way to choose a version which doesn't have it) I would never use it. Using electricity for something which is not needed. Grab the wheel for a few seconds and it feels warm already, same with the seat which wil heat up because you sit on it.

[@verygoodbrother]

Takes less energy to heat up your body via the steering wheel and seat than heating the whole cabin. Works for me but I suspect it's not something you want.

[@kharrang]

Why is the rear view camera "rubbish"?

[@BOTBreviews]

Low resolution, and the positioning means it gets very dirty and hence harder to see very easily.

[@wobby1516]

In The Headlights I tend to keep my car clean, before driving I like to check front & rear lights as well as camera are clean, advanced drivers are taught to do that. As for resolution it’s a rear view camera, ones not doing photography work with it. LOL.

[@kharrang]

@@BOTBreviews Okay, this is a real issue. I drive a Chevy Bolt, and the rear view camera is quite good, and it's also used to replace the rear view mirror with a wide angle screen that makes freeway driving significantly safer. But technically, it is very difficult to keep a camera clean when it's pouring rain or the roadway's wet. Maybe this will be solved someday with a type of camera that doesn't use visible light? Hmmmm... Keep up the good work at In The Headlights!

[@eds6889]

Odd you would say you get more road noise. You of course do not get more road noise when the engine noise is removed.

[@BOTBreviews]

You’re being somewhat picky there - no you don’t get *more* road noise, but the road noise is more noticeable.

[@Elleras1980]

Watching from the state's. I'm waiting 3 more years to get a nice EV. Can't afford it plus my car has 6 more payments left. EV would be great for me. I drive roughly 60 miles round-trip spend roughly 35 us dollars a week to fill. Range on a full tank 380 to 400 miles.

[@BOTBreviews]

The costs are certainly a lot different in the US, mainly because your fuel is so much cheaper than here in the U.K. It costs about $100 to fill an average car up here...

[@gordondaniels9718]

not a criticism but an observation put your mike in the middle a bit lower as your voice goes down when you turn your head from a person who has a hearing problem excellent review btw

[@BOTBreviews]

Good to know 👍 and thanks!

[@ojjenkins7110]

Does the UK have the infrastructure to support more electric car chargers especially in the future?

[@BOTBreviews]

Yes, they’re being installed at a huge rate. The chargers will be in place before the number of cars on the road increases.

[@DorsetSaferRoads]

we have been all over the uk in our leaf, there are some black spots in certain areas but with a modern ev you can generally get across them with no issues. check out zap-map.com we did bournemouth, basingstoke, redditch, stoke on trent, alton towers then across wales to lampeter. no major issues with charging, had to plan charging a bit, staying in hotels with chargers at them helped save some time. the only issue we had was that parents dont have a charger so had to use the 10 amp charger to charge up when we were there. we have a 30amp charger at home, the 10amp "granny cable" is horribly slow but it does work

[@user-jt1jv8vl9r]

Probably best to lease for now. Wait for the tech to get cheaper.

[@leswong7801]

0:13 foot got cozy

[@steveco1800]

EVs are definitely getting there. Would love one if I could afford it.

[@elliottwadsworth4201]

Lease? New BIK rates make them quite attractive.

[@sahhull]

@@elliottwadsworth4201 They have a way to go... I dont and will never spend more than £1500 on a vehicle

[@differenttan7366]

@@sahhull i reluctantly confirm that your right not to buy an newev. i own an EV which i love but i did a cost comparison with a few cars, a new hatchback a 4 year old hatchback and my wifes car (under 2K). cost wise doing 12k miles a year my EV breaks even on a new car in only 5 years, even on the 4year old hatch its only 7 years but i would need 12 years to catch up to an economical car under 2K pounds even factoring in estimated petrol price hikes. I currently save over a hundred pound a month in running costs over my wife's car but its not enough to make up for the starting price. you cannot beat a well chosen petrol motor at that price, unless your very unlucky . That said at some point todays ev's are gonna be five years old and going for 10K pounds. if electric prices hold then at that point the ev would beat out the 2K petrol over a five years period.

[@mk500]

How much does this cost in comparison to the base Tesla Model 3? Because if the price difference is pretty small, I can’t see many people choosing this. It seems like a pretty big downgrade.

[@mk500]

It looks like in the US it is $38085 (Kona) vs. $39990 (Tesla). It might still make sense to buy one in the US if you can take advantage of tax rebates that may be available on Kona but not Tesla. But without rebates I can’t imagine anyone making that choice. Hyundai really needs to step up their game. They should be able to build a more competitive option by designing a ground-up EV instead of trying to build something that can be EV or ICE.

[@adoreslaurel]

Can you plug in that charger [bit of an upturned angle] when it is in the rain?

[@BOTBreviews]

Yes it’s fine, contacts are far inside

[@didierpuzenat7280]

On the car side, yes. On the infrastructure side no if it is a simple AC home outlet, and yes if it is a DC charger. In any case check the owner manual and be carefull.

[@deelawrence1135]

One other cost difference that I'd include would be - how much you are spending while you're waiting the 75mins per charge - that's a lot of coffee and cake if you were at a services which would add up to a fair amount of money.

[@BOTBreviews]

Very good point!

[@showme360]

Ok the cost of charging on a cheap tariff is 5p per kWh, so if you have a 22kwh charger at home, over night it will cost you £3.20 to charge from empty in just over 3 hours. So let’s have an average range of 230 miles, because during the summer you will not be using air con as much. So that’s 43.5 charged battery events, costing £3.20 equals £139. Compared to you GT would be £1735, we will assume your realistic range includes a heave right foot, means your saving £1’596 per year that’s means you get your money back in just over 6 years. Does that include servicing costs hmm? and road tax hmm? and the likely hood of fuel prices going up in six years hmm, or congestion charges, it could easily be within five. Not to mention the good you might be doing using an EV, seems like a good deal to me! One thing you could add is that the EV for about 10p can defrosted and heated up ready to use in 20 min, with auto timer! Which I love!

[@ruedipreiss3654]

+ the EV will hold its value far better :D

[@tbsmith-ht6ej]

@5:36 no red wires visible to the right side (inside) of the charging station. @5:38 red wires visible?

[@BOTBreviews]

The b-roll shots are done at a different time to the talking stuff as I film all this myself. So I tidied it up for the pretty shots. 👍

[@jarnohagman3596]

I'm fortuned have had the privilege to own ( company car tho ) and drive one since September. Loved every km which I've driven. What I also would like to point out when taking about costs is the insurance. At least in Finland it's almost the double in price compared to normal Kona.

[@BOTBreviews]

Interesting, I believe they’re actually less here in the U.K.

[@ruedipreiss3654]

Don't forget it's got also almost double the torque and bhp ...;) and costs more... if you insured a like-for-like ICE car with similar torque and price you'd probably pay more insurance. I am lucky in the UK and our Kona electric insurance is exactly the same as the Ford Fiesta 1.5 TDCi we own as a second car ...

[@reiniernn9071]

I do not live in the UK. Here in the netherlands I do not pay the monthly road tax (saving 600 euro a year) , reduced energy price about the same is in the UK and a reduced maintenance price because electric. In the first year, stiil 2 weeks to go, I've made 28500 KM or about 17700 UK miles. I've made the same calculations and will earn back the extra costs for buying in 4-5 years time....(140000 km is break even ). This without taking in account other tax facilities (income taxes every year 2500 euro less, and an extra 9000 less the year of buying) for driving electric in the Netherlands , which reduces the earning back time to less than two years. In 5 years 21500 euro less income taxes to pay....thats even more than the difference in price between the petrol version and electric version. This income tax arrangements are changed since 2018...it' s now less advantage.

[@asimovone]

Dont forget that the electric car does not need a oil change so servicing is much less.

[@johndoyle4723]

Also no VED, zero congestion charge,and brake pads and rotors last a long time if you use regen. I am awaiting delivery of a Kia eniro.

[@737smartin]

TRUE! The "fuel" savings are far from the whole story. Factoring in maintenance brings the "payoff" time down from 7 years. Many municipalities often have incentives, too. In the USA, there's a federal $7500 one, for example.

[@owenshiverdecker6999]

True, but in 6 to 8 years you need to replace the battery pack for five or six thousand, plus no one but the dealer will work on them if there are problems due to the risk of electrocution

[@johndoyle4723]

@@owenshiverdecker6999 Yes you are right about the lack of independent service agents, but the market will evolve. The batteries, well I am now in my 7th year with a PHEV and only slight deterioration, the batteries have probably done 50,000 miles of use. I used to get 30 miles from a full charge, now maybe 27 miles. Some old toyota Hybrids are still working well after 10-15 years. The Nissan Leaf had a bad battery set up. I am an early adopter and will take the risk, just waiting for my Kia eniro.

[@KevinLyda]

@@owenshiverdecker6999 Data from earlier generation EVs shows the battery life is at least a decade. And since then there have been improvements in how batteries are made and maintained.

[@stevenowen2240]

After 3 years ownership the petrol version will have depreciated vastly more than the ev version which also needs to be factored in to the cost.

[@xponen]

I've heard it is a whopping 80% reduction in price for 5 year old used petrol car.

[@ruedipreiss3654]

@@xponen My Fiesta 1.5 TDCi Titanium has lost £9000 over 1 year / 20k, whilst the Kona has lost a mere £3000 over the same time span and mileage :)

[@naismith1214]

@Mark P. If you had not traded in your banger and bought your new Ford Titanium which is difficult to sell for cash you would have got $5000 off the price. The dealer would sell your old car for scrap. If a deal seems too good to be true it is.

[@seanpeacock5595]

Very cold here, 3 to 6 degrees. VERY COLD? Alberta Canada -30 is VERY COLD.

[@rexcarolus5874]

North of Sweden is -30 - -40 Celsius in the wintern

[@MonsterRaz]

was hoping to hear you rev it ;) ev's are actually improving a lot since they started appearing on the scene.

[@Musketeer009]

And so's the recharging infrastructure.

[@pouleichel426]

take at look at 2:10 in this kona video and her it revs kzbin.info/www/bejne/gp65oIiKnc2gnM0

[@nightfallfade]

At 7p per kwh it's going to be about £4 for an overnight charge on Economy 7. Pretty good if you can squeeze 300 miles out of it as some people have. Does that £37k purchase price include the government grant. Hopefully not.

[@BOTBreviews]

Sadly yes, that includes the £3500 grant!

[@michaelmara1338]

You have to add in the cost of maintenance for the ICE version. The EV version will have virtually none. Oh and plus you're not pumping poison (in or out).

[@marcushull12]

only the poison in other countries that mine the rare minerals needed , so that doesn't count , www.bbc.com/future/article/20150402-the-worst-place-on-earth

[@tomtd]

Poison gets pumped during manufacture and disassembly, do some research on dust to dust ecology. Amazingly some non obvious cars are better than you would think.

[@philh7459]

the bubble on light is a side repeter

[@ladayblues6759]

Love the color