Hyundai Kona EV ownership: 3 months and 6300 km update

It's a very efficient car provided you tweak your driving style accordingly. So far, we have saved over Rs 50,000 in fuel costs compared to my previous Mahindra XUV500.

BHPian GKR9900 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

3-month update

The Kona has done almost 6300 km since I took delivery in December.

Here are a few notable mentions during this period.

1. Efficiency numbers seem to show an increase. Earlier my work-home commute numbers used to hover between 7 to 9 km/kwh. Now it's usually between 9 to 11 km/kwh. This is with smooth acceleration and deceleration cycles and liberal use of the paddle-based regen. The more enthusiastic I am with the throttle, the faster the drop in efficiency.
2. I have moved onto comfort mode as my usual drive mode. Earlier I used to go with eco mode. With comfort mode, it is much easier to maintain momentum as a light dab on the throttle provides more acceleration than in eco mode. Closing gaps in traffic doesn't require as much effort as in eco mode. Now I can see how EV fans can extract maximum efficiency in sports mode. But to me, aiming for efficiency in sports mode is kinda sacrilegious.
3. The highest efficiency number I have gotten so far is 11.7 km/kwh for a 60 km stretch in Palakkad. I wasn't even trying to aim for efficiency and was on some work calls during the duration of the trip. Was pleasantly surprised about the results when I reached the destination. The Kona is a very efficient car provided you know how to tweak your driving style using the paddle and throttle input. But you need immense discipline to NOT bury the throttle at times just to have a smile plastered on your face.
4. The car is an instant hit among my kids. So much so that when they are grumpy, I put them both in the back seat and go for a drive. My 1-year-old son has now learned to say 'caaaru' properly even before learning to say 'acha'. My 3-year-old daughter also enjoys the serene drive while listening to her favorite songs. Truth be told, these drives are like little pieces of heaven. And I can do them much more frequently without feeling guilty of burning fuel unnecessarily.
5. The fuel cost savings for the last 3 months easily run upward of Rs 50k, when compared to my previous XUV500.
6. Although I realized this earlier when I took delivery of the car, now I am pretty sure that it will be extremely difficult for me to upgrade to another car 'within a reasonable budget', next time I am in the market. The Kona is so darn good. The car reeks of quality and the way it drives is just superlative. I have heard umpteen number of times that the Kona is an outdated car citing the lack of a bigger screen and connected tech. As someone who prefers the mechanical feeling of a car over the features list, I would respectfully disagree. On second thought, the features present in the Kona specific to the EV powertrain like charging current adjustment and the implementation of the paddle-based regen are not seen anywhere else within this price bracket. And the driver's display is just so well organized and gives a plethora of useful information. All these are immensely useful and I use them on a daily basis. This car was way ahead of its time when it was launched. And 5 years later, it still holds its stance firmly, at least in the Indian market.

P.S: There are a few concerns regarding EVs and battery warranty that I should probably detail in another post as this involves not just the Kona, but other EVs as well.

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