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-   -   The Hyundai Kona electric SUV, now launched @ 25.3 lakhs (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/electric-cars/202735-hyundai-kona-electric-suv-now-launched-25-3-lakhs-4.html)

Rear looks much smaller than expected! Doesn't matter for enthusiast like us, but general public needs to be impressed too, for it to sell well.

Hope the "mileage factor" works in favour of this car, we desperately need fast and cheap to run (not buy) cars.

Thanks. Why does it give better range in the city when compared to the highways? Is it because of higher speeds and lower braking (regeneration) cycles expected on a highway?

Considering our traffic conditions in metros like Bangalore where time spent is inching forward or waiting with AC ON is almost as much or greater than the actual time spent driving I wonder how much we can expect from a single charge. Even highways are no better off in some regions. I hope Hyundai launch both versions here.

Edit: Electric car manufacturers could/should think of coming up with a properly engineered "powerbank"(should be robust as main pack, should have points in the trunk to fix it and connect it securely, should have inbuilt cooling etc) which sits in the trunk which the owner can install and take off on his own as needed. This power bank must be able to power the car on its own and give atleast 50% range the inbuilt battery is capable of giving.

This should help till more fast charging stations come up and/or battery technology improves. Carrying two such power banks would essentially double the range of car. Not everyone drives with a fully packed car always and there is always the option of a roofbox if luggage capacity is required.

EVs provide better range in cities due to lower speed and more regenerative braking. A 64KW Kona driven constantly at 40km/h without AC gave a range of 800KM in a single charge while at 90km/h gave 480KM. You can check youtube for those videos.

A 64KWh Kona battery weigh approximately 500KG. How much KWh battery do you think an owner can install and remove on his own?
On that front, Rivian is planning to provide additional battery for its electric truck which owners can rent while going on long trips. They have already provided the mount points and connection points on the truck bed for the add-on battery but again, it needs to be installed using a crane. They mentioned they will have robotic cranes at battery rental stations which could install and remove the batteries within a minute.

25 units of Hyundai Kona EV shipped in June’19!

Source:
http://www.autopunditz.com/news/25-u...ped-in-june19/

Hyundai (39.2 kWh) SUV all electric drive range 452 kms – ARAI certified.

Link

The range mentioned should be of the 64KWh battery. There is no way the vehicle could travel 450KM in real world with a 39 KWh battery pack. If ARAI has indeed certified it with 450KM range, then it shows the gross incompetency of ARAI.
My E2O which weighs around 800KG with 8KWh battery barely manages 80KM when driven sedately and here we are talking about a vehicle with twice the weight and almost 4 times powerful motor.

Yes, you are exactly right. That was probably a typo.

Quoting from another source - "The Hyundai Kona Electric, with its 64kWh battery pack, returns a claimed range of around 452km on a single charge, according to ARAI."

Range confirmed by Hyundai India -

http://youtu.be/7dDIFK5jbnw

Here is the review by SVP:
https://auto.ndtv.com/reviews/hyunda...ome-topstories

Looks quite good. The key question is price. SVP says from 20-25L. With lower GST, waiver in registration cost in some states, 1.5L exemption in income tax and sky high Creta price, if this is close to 20L, then it could find good buyers.

One thing that I infer from the article is that Hyundai showrooms would be charging points - good for intercity travels especially for the 300km kinds (5-6 hr journey).

~m

Let's say the Kona will cost 27Lakhs on road, and has a 300km range, electricity is available at a per unit cost of Rs.7.5
Let's compare it to the Hyundai Creta SX CRDI AT that costs 18.5L on road, with an average fuel efficiency of 16kmpl, and diesel price at around Rs.72/Liter.

Without including the maintenance charges, can some one calculate the break even period of buying a Kona EV over a Creta Diesel?

Creta fuel cost INR 4.5/km
For a 12000 kilometer running per year, fuel cost = INR 54000

Assuming a range of 450km for 64kWh battery pack
Assuming an overall efficiency of 80% including charging losses, motor losses etc, you will get 360km per 64kWh of electricity which would cost 480 INR.

INR 480 for 360km = INR 1.33/km
For a 12000 kilomter running per year, electricity cost = INR 16000

Savings per year = INR 38,000

For a cost difference of 8.5 lakhs (27Lakhs - 18.5Lakhs), that is a break even of 22.36 years.

Now, I am sure the battery pack would need replacement at some point (8 to 10 years??) and would cost quite high. Add that to the equation, and there may be no break even :D

So, I don't think a Kona can be compared to a Creta from running cost and break even point of view.

lol: The only way this will sell is if diesel prices reach Rs.100 per liter and the govt cuts road tax to 0%, which I don't think will happen so soon.

When you drive a good electric car, you will forget about the break even cost. Whenever you visit California, you can rent the model 3 or use Turo app to get hold of electric cars. I relocated to India after 8 years and I cannot imagine how we are living in such a polluted environment. Quality of air has decreased drastically in most of the cities.

Basic question arises about timely maintenance of these diesel cabs and city buses, which they never do and these vehicles keep emitting black smoke throughout the day. People will tell about the energy involved in generating power to fuel these electric cars, but that is involved even with fossil fuel. At least in California, I see plenty of people who are using solar energy to power their houses and even their electric cars. Imagine a world where we can run our cars with power generated from our own houses along with no intervention from government (related with price control). Can you imagine the quantity of used and hazardous engine oil that is been throw out by all these garages everyday. As we all know educating each and every person in India about the importance of periodic maintenance is impossible , may be it is better to adopt a better solution and move to electric. At least we need not bother about engine oil changes and hazardous emissions. Another good news is no need to keep visiting service centers every 6 months for oil change ( Honda are you listening ?)

ARAI certified range gives a satisfactory feeling but the speculated price (around 30L since it will be a CKU) seems to be a deterrent. For masses Suzuki Swift brought the diesel and performance, likewise I expect a breakthrough EV product from a manufacturer that should encourage the masses to shift to EV.

I do agree with the emissions part, but in India, be it the poorest or the richest, people think twice about spending money. People want more returns, they wish to save more in the long term, also Indians don't have deep pockets to spend on expensive cars that offer no extra value.

We see 99.5% of Fortuners sold are diesels vs just 0.5% petrols. The petrol may be cheaper to buy but still no one buys them, as they are thirsty and will drain the pockets in the long term.

Also unlike the US, we have highly efficient diesels here, it doesn't make sense to buy a electric car for saving money as the initial expense is huge over a diesel. Diesel cannot be priced high also as it will increase inflation in all the sectors, which will affect majority of Indians.

There is also the fact that charging infrastructure hasn't developed till now, and hence they are also impractical as of now to run those extra kilometers for breaking even. Also, power cuts are rampant even in Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities, one cannot rely on the govt supply to charge the car daily. And the downtime of 10 hours is too much, ruling out the use of car during an emergency.

Regarding solar panels, I had applied for a special govt scheme that involved cost sharing benefits in September 2017, I thought of using it as a substitute to temporary roofing, but I received no response. Then in 2019 June, nearly 2 years after application, they turn up infront of my home for survey. This is the state of affairs in India.

Purchasing solar panels at home without govt support doesn't make sense to me as the upfront cost for panels and battery is very high and also will require multiple batteries over time, which will further shoot up the cost.

Unless and until there is govt support by providing necessary incentives and infrastructure, there is no way any electric car can succeed to its full potential. You cannot expect citizens to buy expensive electric cars and keep them at home for want of electricity.

I believe developed nations with deep pockets should first take the responsibility of providing clean energy and ensuring clean transportation, mass production will make them cheaper and better overtime and in another 10 to 15 years, they will become more accessible in developing nations like India.

I personally will not buy an electric car in the next 10 years, if the price difference between diesel cars and electrics are more than 5Lakhs.

Does the Hyundai Creta SX CRDI AT move from 0-100 in 7.6 seconds? Can the in cabin silence be a match to the electric Kona?

Obviously, the high usage folks will be the ones buying the Kona. If the battery lasts 200K - 300K kilometres, then it's paisa vasool.

At the end of the day, its a premium offering and I am sure it will have enough takers considering the novelty factor.

Plus, the Kona is CKD vs the Creta being locally built and as usual has a compromises safety structure, while the CKD is likely to be safer.