The electric version will be the main variant of the second generation Kona Electric. The EV was developed first, from which the gasoline and hybrid versions were derived. According to Hyundai, the car will be based on a completely new platform. The newcomer is 15 centimeters longer than the first generation launched in 2017, and the wheelbase has also grown by 60 millimeters.
The Czech production company HMMC has been involved in the development of the Kona from the very first sketches - a first for Hyundai. The new development process made it possible to take into account the specific characteristics of the plant, which is located in the far east of the Czech Republic, close to the Polish and Slovakian borders.
HMMC expects Kona Electric to represent 15 per cent of the plant’s total production by late 2023, thanks in part to the fact that the electric vehicle from HMMC will be delivered to an additional 20 countries to the current 22 exclusively European markets. By the end of this year, 21,000 cars of the new generation Kona Electric model are to be produced, with a further 50,000 manufactured next year.
Kona Electric will now also be produced at HMMC in a right-hand drive version for the UK, Ireland, and Cyprus. New destinations for the electric model will also include Turkey and Israel, as well as the islands of Reunion and Guadalupe.
The Czech-based plant will continue to produce two versions of Kona Electric with different battery capacities, with both offering higher performance and range than their predecessors. The 65.4-kWh battery pack Kona Electric is equipped with a 160-kW electric motor and offers a range of 514 km (WLTP). The base version will have a 48.4-kWh battery pack and a 114.6-kW electric motor, providing a 377-km range.
KONA Electric’s battery cells are manufactured at LG Energy Solution's plant in Wroclaw, Poland. The batteries are then assembled in their final form at the same HMMC facility that produced manual transmissions until the end of 2021.
Hyundai will only offer zero-emission vehicles in European from 2035. In line with the transition to clean mobility, the portfolio of pure electric models produced at HMMC will continue to be expanded in the coming years.
"Hyundai regards Europe as a core market, which is reflected in our dedication to our customers across the continent. That is why we produce more than 70 per cent of our models – designed with European customers in mind – in Europe. In response to the growing demand for our electric vehicles in the region and with a focus on shortened delivery times, producing one of our most important electric cars in Europe underlines the importance of the European market for Hyundai," says Michael Cole, President & CEO of Hyundai Motor Europe.
Source: Hyundai